CPD Ethics & Accountability 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CPD officer witnesses a fellow officer plant evidence on a suspect. Under the Code of Silence, what does department policy require the witnessing officer to do?
- Report the misconduct immediately to a supervisor or COPA (Correct answer)
- Say nothing to protect the brotherhood of officers
- Confront the officer privately before reporting
- Wait to see if the suspect is actually guilty before deciding
Correct answer: Report the misconduct immediately to a supervisor or COPA
CPD policy and Illinois law require officers to report witnessed misconduct immediately; failure to report is itself a disciplinable offense.
Question 2: Which independent body has primary jurisdiction to investigate complaints of CPD officer misconduct involving use of force and constitutional violations?
- Internal Affairs Division (IAD)
- Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) (Correct answer)
- Chicago Police Board
- Office of Inspector General (OIG)
Correct answer: Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA)
COPA has primary jurisdiction over allegations of excessive force, domestic violence by officers, and related constitutional violations.
Question 3: An officer is offered a free meal by a restaurant owner who says 'It's just a thank-you for keeping the neighborhood safe.' According to CPD General Orders, the officer should:
- Accept it since it is below the $25 gift threshold
- Decline and explain that CPD policy prohibits accepting gratuities (Correct answer)
- Accept only if no specific police service was rendered
- Report the offer to a supervisor before deciding
Correct answer: Decline and explain that CPD policy prohibits accepting gratuities
CPD General Orders prohibit officers from accepting any gratuities, meals, or gifts from the public, regardless of dollar value or intent.
Question 4: The Chicago Police Accountability Task Force (2016) identified which systemic issue as a primary driver of police misconduct in CPD?
- Insufficient firearms training
- Lack of racial equity and implicit bias in policing practices (Correct answer)
- Understaffing in patrol districts
- Inadequate salary compensation for officers
Correct answer: Lack of racial equity and implicit bias in policing practices
The 2016 Task Force report found that CPD's history of racial bias and lack of accountability created a culture that enabled misconduct.
Question 5: Under the 2019 CPD Consent Decree, officers must document every contact that constitutes a 'stop' or 'investigatory stop.' This requirement is intended primarily to:
- Increase the number of arrests made per shift
- Detect and prevent racially biased policing patterns (Correct answer)
- Speed up the reporting process for supervisors
- Create evidence for future court proceedings
Correct answer: Detect and prevent racially biased policing patterns
Mandatory stop documentation allows auditors to detect racial disparities and ensure officers are conducting stops based on articulable facts, not bias.
Question 6: An officer discovers that a supervisor has been falsifying use-of-force reports to cover up excessive force incidents. The officer's first ethical obligation is to:
- Confront the supervisor directly and demand corrective action
- Report the falsification to COPA, IAD, or the OIG (Correct answer)
- Document the discrepancies personally but take no further action
- Consult a union attorney before doing anything
Correct answer: Report the falsification to COPA, IAD, or the OIG
Falsifying official reports is a serious crime and ethics violation; officers are duty-bound to report such conduct to an oversight body.
Question 7: Which principle from CPD's procedural justice framework is violated when an officer makes a decision about a suspect based solely on race rather than observed behavior?
- Voice
- Neutrality (Correct answer)
- Respect
- Trustworthiness
Correct answer: Neutrality
Neutrality requires that officers make decisions based on facts and evidence, not on race, ethnicity, or other protected characteristics.
CPD Ethics & Accountability 2
A CPD officer witnesses a fellow officer plant evidence on a suspect.
Under the Code of Silence, what does department policy require the witnessing officer to do?