Chicago police officers who knowingly lie or conceal evidence in criminal cases are supposed to be put on a list that the State’s Attorney’s Office maintains, so that defendants can question their credibility if they’re called to the stand. But in an investigation for the Chicago Reader and the Invisible Institute, with support from the Fund, reporters Max Blaisdell and Sam Stecklow found more than 100 officers who should be on the list but aren’t, including at least 15 who are still on the force. In a three-month investigation, Blaisdell and Stecklow reviewed hundreds of pages of documents and compared the prosecutor’s office’s lists with internal police and civilian oversight data of officers who have sustained disciplinary findings of dishonesty. They then followed up on scores of individuals cases to make sure discipline hadn’t been overturned. The reporters are now monitoring whether the lists will be amended to add the officers identified in their investigation.
Grantee investigation finds 100+ Chicago police officers who should have been flagged for dishonest conduct but weren’t
