Will Chicago police enforce the consent decree mandating police reform after Robert Boik fired?

CHICAGO (WLS) -- How committed is the Chicago Police Department to enforcing the court-ordered consent decree mandating police reform? That is the question some are asking following the firing of Robert Boik, the former executive director of constitutional reform and policing at CPD.
"To have his urgent request for more personnel denied and then take even more people out of the reform effort, to me, seems to indicate a lack of commitment," said Susan Lee, former deputy mayor for public safety.
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Boik was fired Tuesday by Superintendent David Brown after he sent an email calling on Brown to reverse a decision to relocate 46 officers from his department back street patrol as part of the police department's effort to bolster its presence in hot spots around the city, including CTA.

A move, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she supports.

"Every single bureau has said yes. There can be no exceptions. Period," the mayor said.

In the email, obtained by ABC7, Boik said the personnel loss will:

Prevent the department from offering a gender-based violence course

Diminish the crisis intervention training program

Put the department's consent-decree compliance at risk

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Every single officer will fall short of 40 hours of training this year

"They need the right training on the street when they have the split second decision to make, so, to me, that's the bigger issue," Lee said.
While CPD has refused to comment on the firing, other than to say Boik no longer works there, the mayor Wednesday rejected Boik's overall claims.

RELATED: Chicago police increasing patrols on CTA trains

"I have been very, very clear that I am committed to making sure that we continue to make progress on police reform. That sacrosanct. We will never take any steps back," Mayor Lightfoot said.



Boik himself has not spoken out since his firing. A replacement to his position has already been made.