Rahm picks retired judge as interim COPA chief
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Tuesday chose retired Judge Patricia Banks to hold down the fort at the Civilian Office of Police Accountability until a civilian oversight board can select a permanent chief.
Emanuel moved on, one day after Sharon Fairley made it official by forming a campaign committee to raise money to run for Illinois attorney general.
Now that Fairley has entered the crowded field to replace retiring Attorney General Lisa Madigan, she could no longer serve as head of the newly created agency charged with disciplining Chicago Police officers.
That put Emanuel under the gun to find a replacement. He found that interim chief administrator in Banks, the former presiding judge of the Elder Law & Miscellaneous Remedies Division.
Newly reappointed Police Board President Lori Lightfoot applauded the temporary appointment. “Judge Banks has a reputation as a tough but fair jurist. She obviously will need to dig into the details of a new organization. But the staff that remains is strong,” Lightfoot said.
To underscore the temporary nature of the appointment, Emanuel followed through on his promise to create a “Chief Administrator Selection Advisory Panel” to conduct the nationwide search for a permanent replacement for Fairley.
The panel will be co- chaired by two mayoral allies: Paula Wolff, the former City Colleges Board Chairman now serving as director of the Illinois Justice Project, and Ald. Ariel Reboyras ( 30th), chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety.