The head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which looks into complaints about officer misconduct, said they have received 258 complaints since Friday alone. These include complaints involving images showing Chicago Police officers without body cameras and with tape or bands covering up their badges or nameplates.
“Number one, they of course should have body cameras,” Mayor Lightfoot said. A Chicago Police representative said officers are “required to wear their unit assignment designator, nameplate, and prescribed star so that they are clearly visible.”
But the mayor said there could be another explanation for those obstructed badge numbers.
“Clearly if somebody’s trying to black out their identity, that’s a whole different issue, but most of the officers who were out there with a black band, that’s over their star showing respect for the officer who have been lost,” Mayor Lightfoot said.
Kozlov also spoke with Ald. Christopher Taliaferro (29th), a former Chicago Police sergeant and the head of the City Council Public Safety Committee, who echoed the possible explanation for the badge bands.
But it is being investigated, though the mayor also cautioned people not to take everything they see on social media at face value.
See guys? It's done out of respect out of fallen officers. It has nothing to do with them wanting to avoid accountability...
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