The monitor for the Chicago Police Department's consent decree has discussed the department's progress.
Maggie Hickey, a former federal prosecutor and court-appointed monitor, on Monday spoke publicly about the state of the consent decree, which took effect in 2019 following a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into CPD after the killing of Laquan McDonald by then- police Officer Jason Van Dyke.
“I do think the policies are being reformed and that is maybe working a little quicker than the culture being reformed,” Hickey said, adding, “I’m not going away anytime soon, unfortunately.”
Hickey spoke as part of a presentation by the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based nonprofit, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Hickey said work had to be done for the department even to achieve the preliminary compliance CPD has reached in just over 50% of the provisions her team has so far reviewed. But she said she believes the critics’ “higher-level concern” is culture, and whether there is buy-in from members of the department.
Asked by a member of the public about officers who “vehemently” oppose reforms, Hickey said newly enacted policies have to come with accountability, meaning officers who disregard policies should be disciplined.
