Measuring Accountability: Investigation Quality and Institutional Change in Chicago Police Oversight

This dissertation examines police accountability in Chicago through three interconnected studies that analyze racial and gender disparities in oversight outcomes, investigation quality, and institutional reform. Drawing from the author's experience as a Major Case Investigator at the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) from 2017 to 2022, the research employs quantitative methods to analyze complaint data and investigation reports spanning 2007-2023. The first study reveals significant racial and gender disparities in complaint outcomes, with White complainants having substantially higher sustained rates (White females 25.79%, White males 21.69%) compared to Black complainants (Black females 9.76%, Black males 10.01%) and Hispanic complainants (Hispanic females 14.95%, Hispanic males 11.80%). These disparities persist across complaint categories, with particularly pronounced differences in excessive force cases. The second study introduces a novel thoroughness score for assessing investigation quality, incorporating dimensions of timeliness (10%), interview comprehensiveness (30%), evidence collection breadth (40%), and analytical depth (20%). Surprisingly, analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in investigation thoroughness across demographic groups, suggesting that observed outcome disparities stem from factors in the evaluation and decision-making process rather than investigation thoroughness. The third study evaluates the impact of transitioning from the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) to COPA in 2017. Analysis shows that COPA achieved higher sustained rates overall, with complaints approximately 40% more likely to be sustained. However, improvements varied notably across demographic groups, with the most significant increases for Hispanic/Latino/Spanish Origin females (38% increase) and White males (26.83% increase), while improvements for Black complainants were more modest (13.05% increase for males, 10.19% for females). Collectively, these findings provide a comprehensive examination of Chicago's police accountability system, revealing persistent patterns of racial and gender disparities despite institutional reforms and consistent investigation thoroughness. The dissertation contributes valuable insights for enhancing the equity and effectiveness of police accountability mechanisms in Chicago and similar urban contexts facing challenges in police oversight and community trust.