Shannon Hayes, Deputy Chief Administrator

Shannon Hayes majored in English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received a law degree from Chicago Kent College of Law. She has been working in police oversight in Chicago since 2004, starting as an investigator with the Office of Professional Standards and the Independent Police Review Authority. Shannon became a Supervising Investigator at the Civilian Office of Police Accountability in 2017, and became Director of Investigations in 2020. In May 2026, Shannon became a Deputy Chief Administrator after acting in that capacity since April 2025. In that capacity, Shannon manages COPA’s Communications Division and works with the Investigations Division.