ABC7 has learned new details about a meeting this week with where Brown took heat for putting reform efforts in jeopardy.
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The meeting in question this week involved Brown, the attorney general's office and the independent monitor Maggie Hickey, who is overseeing the court mandated reforms.
One source with direct knowledge of the meeting described it as a blood bath.
Sources told ABC7 that during Monday's meeting Brown was grilled about how he would meet deadlines for training officers required under the consent decree, when he planned to move 46 trainers from the Bureau of Constitutional Policing to the Bureau of Patrol.
Those plans were questioned by Robert Boik, the civilian executive director of that bureau, in a lengthy email to the superintendent that morning. Boik was summarily fired the next day.
During the Monday Zoom meeting, described as very tense, Brown pushed back. Sources said he told the monitor Chicago has a crime problem, noting the Bureau of Patrol has been hit hard by retirements and departures. To make up for those losses every bureau has had to give up officers, including the counter terrorism unit that lost 150.
Friday at the academy training continued.
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Sources said during Monday's meeting Brown bristled at repeated questions about his plan to comply with mandated deadlines with 46 fewer trainers.
Brown told the independent monitor and the attorney general's office he would not be threatened about meeting training requirements.
He proposed bringing back officers on overtime or their days off to serve as adjunct trainers.
The attorney general's office issuing a statement saying in part, "The reported staffing reductions at the CPD Academy and Office of Constitutional Policing & Reform must not compromise the quality or quantity of training provided to officers or slow the department's progress on consent decree compliance."
Despite the controversy, Mayor Lightfoot said earlier this week that she still has total confidence in Brown and that the city will not take steps backward in reforms. But sources familiar with the Monday meeting say Brown's plan will be a major setback.