Increased pressure on Chicago leadership to address allegations of police officers’ ties to extremism amid public safety concerns
CHICAGO – In a strong appeal to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a prominent national civil rights organization, alongside over a dozen local activist groups and ten elected officials, has called for the dismissal of police officers allegedly linked to extremist groups. This demand comes in light of a controversial investigation that some believe failed to hold accountable officers with connections to the Oath Keepers, a group implicated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The letter, sent by Color of Change and co-signed by several other organizations, marks one year since investigative reports by WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times exposed the names of Chicago officers on the Oath Keepers’ membership list. Despite public promises from Johnson and Police Superintendent Larry Snelling to address extremism within the force, no punitive action was taken against the officers involved, according to an internal investigation that closed earlier this year.