The Better Government Association is calling on the Local Records Commission of Cook County to adopt a clear policy to protect from destruction all police misconduct records maintained by the City of Chicago dating back to 1967.
The future of these records is uncertain as several police unions have filed suit against the City of Chicago in response to a state appellate court ruling that the records are subject to public disclosure. Pursuant to a clause in the Chicago police union contract, such records could be destroyed after only a few years.
However, the BGA asserts that destruction of these records would impair the public’s ability to investigate patterns of misconduct that unfold over time, and trends that relate to police policies, deployment and supervision.
