May 4th 2024.
After months of investigation, the Chicago Police Department has announced that no disciplinary action will be taken against officers who were found to have ties to far-right groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, who were involved in the January 6th insurrection. This marks the third such investigation to conclude without any consequences for the officers in question.
As reported by WTTW, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who had made a promise to hold CPD officers accountable, stated at a press conference on May 3rd that there were limited options for taking action without solid evidence from investigators. Even if an officer were to openly admit to being a member of the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers, it would not automatically result in disciplinary measures, as Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling defended during the press conference by stating, "Our internal affairs division has reached out to everyone and gathered information to determine the validity of these allegations."
Snelling went on to say, "This information will be made available for everyone to review." However, this has not always been the case. In 2022, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg recommended that an officer who had lied about his ties to the Proud Boys be fired, but instead, the CPD chose to suspend him for 120 days. Similarly, in 2024, another officer who had admitted to being a member of the Oath Keepers was not fired, despite Witzburg's recommendation to do so. According to her report, the officer had been a member of the group for three to four years.
According to WBEZ, the investigation revealed that these officers were lured into joining these far-right organizations and were even paid to be members. This has raised concerns that the department may be lenient towards officers with extremist ties. Most of the officers under investigation admitted to signing up for the Oath Keepers in February, with the investigators noting in their final report that the officers had provided their information in order to gain more information or join the group.
The investigators also stated, "Most of the accused officers had very limited or no interaction with the Oath Keepers after initially signing up." None of the officers admitted to attending any Oath Keepers events. In a previous investigation of an officer who had joined the group, the CPD concluded that being a member of an extremist organization was not a violation of any rules. However, Witzburg has argued that this type of involvement does discredit the department and undermines its goals.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has expressed their disappointment with the CPD's handling of the investigation, stating that it violates the social contract between the citizens of Chicago and their police force. Jeff Tischauser, a senior researcher with the SPLC, said, "Every time the people of Chicago demand police accountability, nothing happens. It is truly disheartening that Superintendent Snelling and the Bureau of Internal Affairs have chosen to close these cases without any consequences."
Tischauser continued, "These officers with ties to hate and extremist groups bring shame upon the CPD. How can we trust any Chicago police officer when their leaders allow those with such connections to go unpunished?" This sentiment echoes the recent sentencing of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who received 22 years in prison for his involvement in the Capitol riots on January 6th. It raises the question of accountability within law enforcement and the importance of addressing and addressing extremist influence in the department.
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