THE APPLICATION IS OPEN - APPLY HERE

Due to a resignation on the Commission, the Nominating Committee is commencing a new request for applications. Qualified candidates will meet the following requirements:

• 5 years residency in Chicago
• Resident of the West Side of Chicago for the last year*
• 10+ years' experience as a practicing attorney with significant experience in civil rights, civil liberties, or criminal defense or prosecution
• No employment with the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the Police Board, or the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) within the last 5 years

*West Side is defined by the following neighborhoods: Humboldt Park, West Town, Austin, West Garfield Park, East Garfield Park, Near West Side, North Lawndale, South Lawndale, and Lower West Side.

Please submit a completed application form using the link above and email CommissionNomination@cityofchicago.org with a current resume (no more than 2 pages) and at least three letters of support from people familiar with your qualifications. 

If you cannot use the online form and would rather print out the application, please click here to access a downloadable application form. If you choose to fill out a downloaded application form, you must email the completed application form, your resume, and your letters of support to CommissionNomination@cityofchicago.org or mail the completed form, resume, and letters of support to the Nominating Committee, 2 N. LaSalle, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60602.

All materials must be submitted by Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 12:00 pm. 

How are the Commissioners selected?

Process for Selecting a Commissioner:
Nominating Committee: Chicago Municipal Code (MCC) Sec. 2-80-040 and Sec. 2-80-070 outline the Commissioner selection process. Candidates for the permanent Commission submit applications to the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee is comprised of twenty-two members, with one member from each of the elected three-person District Councils. Each District Council selects a member to serve on the Committee.

Application Period: The application period officially opens on October 7, 2024. Per MCC Sec. 2-80-070(c)(2), the Nominating Committee shall receive applications for thirty days after issuing the Request for Application for Commissioner. The application period closes on November 6, 2024.
Interview Invitations: After reviewing all applications received, the Nominating Committee will offer interviews to no fewer than four qualified candidates for each existing vacancy. The Nominating Committee is accepting applications for one vacancy created by the recent resignation of a Commissioner. The Nominating Committee will therefore interview at least four qualified candidates for the single vacancy. If the Nominating Committee determines that fewer than four candidates qualify, it will offer interviews to all qualified candidates.

Nomination Decisions: Within sixty days after issuing the Request for Application for Commissioner, i.e. by December 6, 2024, the Nominating Committee will meet to select at least two applicants for each vacancy. Each applicant must receive at least fifteen votes from the Nominating Committee to be nominated. The Nominating Committee will nominate the two highest-scoring applicants for each vacancy. The Nominating Committee will then promptly transmit the list of nominees and each nominee’s application materials to the Mayor.

Mayor’s Appointment Decisions: Within thirty days after receiving the list of nominees, i.e. by January 5, 2025, the Mayor shall appoint a candidate from the list of nominees for each vacancy or provide the Nominating Committee with a written explanation as to why the Mayor declined to fill a vacancy with a listed nominee. The Nominating Committee will make this written explanation publicly available on the Commission’s website within three business days. Within thirty days of receiving a declination, the Nominating Committee will submit to the Mayor a new list of two nominees for the vacancy. The new list shall not include any candidates from any prior list submitted to the Mayor to fill the current existing vacancies. The Mayor will then have thirty days after receiving the new list to appoint a candidate or decline to appoint a candidate. This process shall continue until the Mayor appoints a candidate for all seven vacancies.
City Council Approval: The Mayor shall submit the appointee to the City Council Committee on Police and Fire for review. Appointments must be approved by City Council. If City Council rejects the appointed candidate, the Mayor shall have thirty days to appoint a different candidate from the most recent list or request two new nominees for the vacancy. This process shall continue until City Council confirms an appointee for the vacancy.

What is the Nominating Committee?

• The Nominating Committee is a twenty-two-member public body. The Committee is comprised of one member from every elected District Council. That means the Committee has one representative from every police district in Chicago.

What are the eligibility criteria for Commissioners?

• Residency in Chicago for the last five years
• At least five years’ combined experience in one or more of the following fields: law, public policy, social work, psychology, mental health, public safety, community organizing, civil rights, or advocacy on behalf of marginalized communities.
• No employment in the last five years with the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), and the Police Board.
• To learn more about the qualifications, review Chicago Municipal Code Sec. 2-80-040.

What do Commissioners do?

• Commissioners serve four-year terms on the seven-member Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.
• The Commission is responsible for overseeing the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), and the Police Board.
• The Commission is empowered to create and approve policies for all three agencies. In 2023, the Commission used its policymaking powers to address the Police Department’s gang database and to prohibit police from associating with criminal, extremist, terrorist, or discriminatory organizations.
• The Commission plays a central role in selecting and removing the Superintendent of CPD, the Chief Administrator of COPA, and members of the Police Board. In 2023, the Commission nominated Larry Snelling, the new Superintendent of CPD, and Kyle Cooper, the new President of the Police Board.
• The Commission is responsible for setting goals and evaluating the Superintendent of CPD, the Chief Administrator of COPA, and the President of the Police Board on an annual basis.
• The Commission can hold hearings, request information from city agencies, request investigations by the Office of the Inspector General, and make recommendations to City Council on public safety and police accountability. Every fall, the Commission provides Chicagoans with an annual report on CPD’s proposed budget for the upcoming year.
• To learn more about the Commission, go to City of Chicago :: What is the Community Commission?. You can also learn more by reviewing Chicago Municipal Code Sec. 2-80-050.

Are Commissioners paid?

Commissioners are paid $12,000 per year. The President of the Commission is paid $15,000 per year. Commissioners are responsible for selecting a member to serve as President.

What is the timeline for the nomination process?

• Monday, October 7, 2024, 12:00 PM: 30-day application period opens.
• Wednesday, November 6, 2024, 12:00 PM: 30-day application period closes.
• By Friday, December 6. 2024 (60 days after issuing the Request for Applications): Nominating Committee meets to select nominees.
• By Sunday, January 5, 2025 (30 days after receiving the list of nominees): Mayor appoints candidates or provides a written explanation for declining to appoint a candidate.

View Commission Nomination Process Report

District Council Nominating Committee Members

Nominating Committee Bylaws 

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