CPD officer misconduct complaints posted online

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The public now has access to more than 56,000 complaints filed against thousands of Chicago police officers.

The University of Chicago's Civil Rights and Police Accountability Clinic launched the Citizens Police Data Project, http://cpdb.co, which includes misconduct complaints filed from March 2011 to September 2015 and repeat officer records from 2000 to 2008. It shows the majority of complaints are filed against a small number of officers and most police officers have no or few complaints filed against them during their entire careers.

"What we saw was that officers who were repeatedly complained against, the odds of them receiving discipline was really low," Craig Futterman, University of Chicago Law School, said. For example, one officer with 68 complaints against him was still promoted to detective.

Jamie Kalven won a landmark case against the City of Chicago that led to the public release of the information.

"The decision in my case established a principle of transparency," Kalven, Invisible Institute, said.

The university says an analysis of the data base reveals patterns.

"Overwhelmingly the complaints are coming from low-income, black and brown neighborhoods on south and west sides," Kalven said.

"The areas where there was the least trust, the areas where there was the most complaints are areas where police officers are having the most difficulty solving crimes," Futterman said.

The Chicago Police Department said officers are better trained under Supt. Garry McCarthy's administration and complaints against officers are down 50-percent.

The University of Chicago Law School is trying to get a complete list of abuse allegations dating back to 1967. The Fraternal Order of Police is fighting that request.