Since 2019, CPD has made progress on specific consent decree mandates. However, there has not yet been intentional focus on the complementary cultural change that is needed to realize the spirit of reform. Building on our prior work to support CPD and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) in preparing for and responding to the consent decree, in 2021 and 2022, Civic Consulting Alliance undertook a series of projects to achieve this culture change and to accelerate the Department’s reform efforts, described below.

Structuring an Approach for Reform Pilot Districts – April – July 2021

In early 2021, Civic Consulting Alliance supported CPD to create a shared vision, purpose, and understanding for the future of reform, as well as an implementation plan for the cultural change initiatives that must accompany policy shifts. Learn more in our 2021 Impact Report.

Operationalizing Reform Pilot Districts – July 2021 – January 2022

With a vision and plan for the reform pilot districts in place, CPD and Civic Consulting Alliance moved to operationalize this approach. First, we worked with CPD to develop a project management structure to guide execution of pilot reforms in District 006 – Gresham (and eventually, Department-wide). Then, we supported three specific initiatives, below, to address pain points in the implementation of the reform pilots.

Building an Internal Reform Communications Strategy – April 2022 – ongoing

While the initiatives above are underway, Civic Consulting Alliance and our pro bono partner Zeno Group recently launched an audit of CPD’s internal communications to ensure that the purpose and practicalities of consent decree reforms are communicated to all CPD members deliberately and thoughtfully. This project will equip CPD with a messaging framework, engagement strategy, and implementation plan to drive internal communications, and to further strengthen Department-wide understanding of and support for reforms.

Looking Forward

In the months ahead, CPD will continue to pilot this holistic reform approach in District 006 and beyond, with the goal of expanding Department-wide within the next year. While implementing consent decree reforms across CPD is an enormous change-management effort, we are optimistic that by complementing core reforms with the culture change initiatives above, CPD is on the path to becoming a more just institution that in turn more effectively serves Chicago communities.

“The Chicago Police Department is committed to achieving the policy, operational, and cultural changes that are necessary for true institutional reform. Civic Consulting Alliance is invaluable to this work, pulling in change management best practices from the private sector and an external, strategic perspective that helps to accelerate our progress.”

– Robert Boik, Executive Director, Constitutional Policing and Reform, Chicago Police Department