COPA’s Policy, Research, and Analyses Division (PRAD) seeks to utilize the standards, tools and techniques of systematic research, analysis, and evaluation to examine underlying causes and facilitators of police misconduct in order to publicly share that knowledge and inform recommendations to the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the Chairman of the City Council Committee on Public Safety, and the Police board about changes to policies, practices, collective bargaining agreements, programs, and trainings that relate to the issue of police misconduct. PRAD is primarily designed to take a step back from a single incident or perspective, consider the collective experiences and perceptions of Chicago community members, and systematically draw connections between them in a way that points to comprehensive solutions to police misconduct. However, PRAD also acknowledges the significance of critical incidents of police misconduct that highlight an immediate need for change and is committed to providing advisories and feedback based on knowledge about such incidents.
PRAD supports the mission of COPA in many ways, including:
- Identifying patterns and practices of police misconduct
- Making policy, training and operational recommendations to CPD that address police misconduct
- Analyzing the operation of COPA investigations and supporting quality management
- Engaging with the community about police misconduct research and policies