Chicago public safety committee demands CPD do more to unmask officers tied to far right-wing groups

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police officials are being asked to reopen an investigation into whether a dozen officers are affiliated with extremist organizations.

Members of the City Council's Public Safety Committee on Wednesday demanded CPD do more to identify police with ties to the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and other extremist groups.

Ald. Chris Taliaferro, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, told the ABC7 I-Team that CPD officials should launch a thorough investigation that might unmask a dozen department employees who are allegedly members of these far right-wing groups.

Violence and racial hatred in cities from coast to coast are the hallmark of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers events.

Federal law enforcement considers the Proud Boys to be a white supremacy organization and yet, at least a dozen Chicago police officers have been identified as members of the group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The well-known civil rights organization sent a letter last month to Mayor LIghtfoot and CPD Supt. David Brown, criticizing them for the way the probe was handled into the investigation of CPD officer Robert Bakker, who has been identified for his allegience to the Proud Boys.

Bakker is currently wrapping up a 120 day suspension and is due back to the force.

Several council members are outraged by the city's response, including Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez who said, "Today we demand that the City of Chicago take seriously this matter. That we remove immediately this officer, particularly Officer Bakker who's ready or set to return to Chicago Police Department right after the election in February 28, which I find unacceptable."

During the Public Safety Committee hearing, CPD officials and the Chicago inspector general testified about extremist group infiltration of police ranks.

Taliaferro told the I-Team he is not satisfied with what CPD is doing.

"These officers are responding to calls. And they're responding to calls in minority communities. And if there's some type of bias, whether it be racially or otherwise. We were not positive that we're getting going to receive the service that we deserve as residents in the city. I don't believe our department did enough to uncover who those officers were," he said

Some cops were unmasked as members of extremist groups after the January 6 capitol attack and riot.

A dozen Chicago police officers connected to the Proud Boys were reported by NPR, but not by name. Some city council members say CPD asked for their names and then dropped the matter when they couldn't get them.

So fa,r there is no response from CPD officials about whether they plan to re-open the investigation of who the dozen might be and where they work.