October 5, 2011

City Council Approves Mayor Emanuel's Reappointment of Independent Police Review Authority Chief

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

The Chicago City Council today approved Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s reappointment of Ilana B.R. Rosenzweig as Chief Administrator for the Independent Police Review Authority.

“The Independent Police Review Authority has a very critical role. Every complaint represents a person’s life and an officer’s livelihoods,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “It is a challenging job, and I have asked Ilana Rosenzweig to serve another term because I know she is the right person for the job.”

The Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) was created in 2007 in response to concerns about how allegations of police misconduct were being investigated by the Chicago Police Department. Ms. Rosenzweig assumed leadership of the office in the fall of that same year.

“I am confident that Ilana is someone who will continue to find ways to be more efficient and effective in order to make sure we maintain the highest level of professionalism within the Chicago Police Department,” added the Mayor.

IPRA mission remains to maintain the highest level of integrity while conducting objective, thorough investigations, striving to reach a sound and just conclusion.

IPRA performs the intake function for all allegations of misconduct made against members of the Chicago Police Department, and conducts investigations specific to allegations of  misconduct, whether on or off duty, involving the use of excessive force, domestic violence, verbal abuse including bias, and coercion.  It also investigates police shootings where an officer discharges his/her weapon, deaths, serious injury, or other extraordinary occurrences in custody.

All other allegations are referred to the Internal Affairs Division for appropriate resolution.

For more information on filing a complaint visit www.iprachicago.org, or call 312.745.3598 or TTY 312.745.3593.

Prior to her appointment as Chief Administrator of IPRA, Ms. Rosenzweig served as an attorney with the Office of Independent Review, which provides independent oversight of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the largest sheriff’s department in the world, with more than 15,000 sworn officers and professional staff.

In Los Angeles, Rosenzweig was responsible for ensuring the thoroughness and integrity of internal investigations of alleged misconduct, and overseeing internal reviews of shootings and other uses of force by officers. She also reviewed training methods and assisted in identifying at-risk officers and intervening to address concerns regarding their behavior.

In 2005, she was hired, along with colleagues at the Office of Independent Review, to investigate allegations against the Internal Affairs Division of the Oakland Police Department.

She also was part of a team of court-appointed experts in a case involving the California prison system. She helped design an oversight agency for prison disciplinary procedures modeled after the one used by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Rosenzweig has a bachelor’s degree with honors from the College of William and Mary and a law degree magna cum laude from the University of Michigan. She also has attended training sessions conducted by the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

Rosenzweig served as a law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge John G. Davies in California, and taught at the UCLA School of Law. Before joining the Office of Independent Review, she was an associate with the Los Angeles law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson.

 

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