Hold supervisors accountable for bad cops

The Sun-Times editorial board writes that bad behavior and corruption within the Chicago Police Department can be like a raging wildfire or an infectious disease. No question, this new study is another punch to the gut for all those officers who lay it all on the line, day after day, to serve and protect a city that is in dire need of the best protection it can get.

However, do we really need to rely on a study to pinpoint officers who are corrupt, brutal, and in some cases no better than the criminals they are supposed to be investigating? Nowhere in the report is the most obvious way of identifying corrupt cops even mentioned: the word is “supervision.”

Leadership starts at the top. When it fails, it’s almost sickening to say we need outside studies to identify groups of cops who are corrupted.

How many supervisors have been held accountable for cabals of corrupt behavior within CPD? The answer is very few. Nobody detests corrupt cops more than good cops — that is a fact. However, when you have department supervisors who are either incompetent or lack the courage to step up and live up to the responsibility of their positions, studies will be after-the-fact. The damage is done.

Rogue cops are birthed by indifferent supervision. It’s time for all department supervisors to be held accountable for the actions of their subordinates. It’s also time for another look at just who and how officers are promoted.

Until that happens, more studies will come forward and the stench of corruption will strike again and again.

Bob Angone, retired CPD lieutenant,

Austin, Texas