Police Union Seeks To Delay Release Of Officer Misconduct Lists
CHICAGO (STMW) -- The union that represents Chicago Police officers is asking a judge to delay the release of lists that name officers accused of misconduct.
The Fraternal Order of Police, which filed the injunction Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, claims there is reason to believe the lists are inaccurate and could "unfairly and vexatiously harm" the officers named in them.
The FOP wants to prevent the city from releasing the lists until the union has reviewed them "for accuracy and redacted otherwise appropriately modified and all inaccurate information," the motion stated.
A representative for the city could not be reached for comment Monday evening.
Last March, a state appeals court ruled the city could not keep records of police misconduct secret, and the city vowed to appeal the state Supreme Court. Earlier this month, though, city officials announced there would be no appeal and complaints against Chicago Police officers will be made available to the public, the Sun-Times reported previously.
Additionally, a state appeals court ruled on a Freedom of Information Act filed by Jamie Kalven, an activist and independent journalist. The court found that misconduct files and Repeater Lists, which identify officers who have accumulated the most misconduct complaints, are both open to the public, the Sun-Times also reported.
Samantha Liskow, one of Kalven's attorneys, said the FOP's injunction hinders public discussion.
"The union asked the court to hand [the lists] over to them so they can decide what the public sees," Liskow said. "They think it's critical they see the records but not the public."
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)