Chicago's police discipline investigators recommended inconsistent punishments for officers who used racial slurs and didn't document why, the city's inspector general found.
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In a report published September 30, 2026, Chicago's Office of Inspector General said it reviewed 19 closed misconduct investigations by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) and the Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Internal Affairs (BIA) involving officers' use of racial slurs. Sixteen recommended suspensions of 30 days or less, one a 60-day suspension and two termination, and the reports often did not record the aggravating and mitigating factors behind those choices, including recommending the same sanction for officers with and without prior similar violations; about half recommended cultural-competency training with virtually no explanation either way. OIG recommended both agencies document all factors including disciplinary history; COPA said it is developing a standardized list of factors, and BIA said CPD already considers all factors and prior history.
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