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Chicago’s police union, the Fraternal Order of Police, has long acted to serve the special interests of the police over the public safety of the people of Cook County.
The recently released “Do Not Call” list by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx contains a disturbing inventory of 174 current and former police officers who have been so thoroughly discredited that prosecutors cannot put them on the witness stand in a criminal trial. The list includes officers who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection, lied under oath and had connections with white supremacist groups.
[ Search the list: Cook County’s ‘Do Not Call’ on officers to testify ]
No credible union would protect officers who cannot be trusted with the core law enforcement responsibility of telling the truth under oath in a court of law. Remarkably, many of these officers remain on the force. Unions that protect the jobs of officers like these cannot be trusted to shape legislation, prosecutorial reform or police accountability.
In Chicago, and across the country, police unions have stockpiled massive political power that they wield to push special interests and protect dangerous officers. This concentration of power can hinder racial justice efforts and jeopardize lives, particularly those of Black people.
It’s been almost three years since the modern movement for police accountability was sparked by the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. Yet, real change in the culture and practice of policing continues to be inhibited by the roadblocks set up by powerful police unions. From massive political donations to aggressive lobbying, police unions have too often become impervious to change as they push an agenda that makes justice less dependable and hinders progress toward a more equitable system.
[ Charlie Beck: Police reform is possible in Chicago, but it starts with officers ]
To be clear, it takes a lot for an officer to wind up on the “Do Not Call” list. Just weeks ago, the Illinois Supreme Court decided a case brought by Wayne Washington, who spent more than a dozen years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The court wrote that “unrebutted evidence” showed that Chicago police detectives isolated Washington, “handcuffed him to his chair, kicked his chair over, and pushed and slapped him.” The court declared that these detectives “undisputedly engaged in coercive conduct at best and torture at worst.” Yet even these detectives did not make the “Do Not Call” list.
Chicago Tribune Opinion
The “Do Not Call” list contains many police officers who are still paid by the Chicago Police Department, yet these officers cannot do their jobs because their testimony cannot be trusted in a criminal trial by a prosecutor. Rather than being expelled from the force for misconduct, officers can wind up assigned to desk duty. Just last month, several cases of sexual misconduct were alleged between Chicago police officers and newly arrived migrant teenagers being housed in city buildings, including police stations. These accusations were dismissed by the police union as inflammatory, and those officers remain on the force, so far without serious consequence.
[ Editorial: Chicago cops with histories of lying, making false reports, remain on the force. Why? ]
John Catanzara offers a premier example of the FOP’s abuse of power. Catanzara has led Chicago’s chapter of the police union since 2020 and has a long resume of abuse, including calling Muslims “savages” who “all deserve a bullet,” expressing sympathy for Jan. 6 insurrectionists and urging officers to disregard the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Or consider Robert Bakker, a CPD officer who fraternized with the Proud Boys and lied about it to investigators. After a suspension, he returned to active duty in March, despite repeated calls for Bakker’s termination from organizations including the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
A culture of impunity protected by police unions puts life and liberty at risk. Chicago leads the country in exonerations, which overwhelmingly affect Black communities. While Black people in America represent a little less than 14% of the country’s population, they account for 53% of exonerated people. And even further than unjust prison sentences, Black people account for almost 30% of those killed by police. Retaining untrustworthy officers on the city payroll is inhibiting justice for those who need it most and giving power to officers who have targeted the lives and the futures of Black people.
Moving forward, Chicago must address police misconduct and corruption. We cannot continue to prop up a system that affords so much power to police unions. From robust political influence to impunity, Chicago’s FOP has broadly overstepped its purpose and is buttressing a criminal justice system that too often serves police interests over people and communities. This “Do Not Call” list is one of many signs that police unions too often fail to act in the best interest of public safety. Their excessive power diminishes justice in Cook County and across the nation.
Michael Collins is the senior director for state and local government affairs at Color Of Change, a civil rights organization. David Shapiro is the executive director of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
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