MAJOR CASE SPECIALIST - COPA

City of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 89,000 - 109,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) Investigations section seeks a Major Case Specialist to lead officer-involved death investigations and misconduct inquiries against the Chicago Police Department. The role requires rigorous evidence gathering, witness interviews, and comprehensive reporting.

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree with four years of related experience or a master's with three years, plus a valid Illinois driver’s license.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 4 years of investigations experience, including misconduct investigations and witness interviews.
• Master's degree with 3 years of investigations experience, including misconduct investigations and witness interviews.
• Illinois driver's license is required.
• Available to work any duty watch and participate in on-call rotation.
• Certification as Lead Homicide Investigator or equivalent training within 6 months of hire.
• Preference given to candidates with a JD, prior sworn law enforcement experience, and oversight experience.

Responsibilities

• Serve as lead investigator in sworn officer-involved death investigations and misconduct investigations against CPD.
• Investigate allegations, gather and analyze evidence, perform in-depth research, and prepare reports.
• Attend interviews with witnesses and coordinate investigations and case development.
• Meet background, pre-employment, and security requirements; pass tests as required.

Skills

Investigations

Witness interviews

Evidence analysis

Report writing

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Lead Homicide Investigator certification

Juris Doctorate (preferred)

Tools

Illinois driver's license

Job description

Job Title: MAJOR CASE SPECIALIST - COPA

Employer: Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA)

Unit: Investigations

Number of Positions: 1 (Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $99,408.00

This position is open to current AFSCME BIDDERS and the PUBLIC. Only current City employees covered under the City's Collective Bargaining Agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4, & 5 are considered BIDDERS and eligible to bid. Qualified BIDDERS who properly submit a bid application will receive preference over any non-bidders.

Under direction, functions as lead investigator in sworn police officer‑involved death investigations as defined by the Police and Community Relations Improvement Act. Investigates allegations of excessive force or official misconduct against members of the Chicago Police Department, including cases involving serious injury, multiple complaints, and shooting incidents, and performs related duties as required.

Additional duties may be required for this position.

Successful candidates must pass a background investigation and drug test. Persons offered employment must pass all pre‑employment exams prior to appointment.

DEPARTMENT: Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA)

UNIT: Investigations

ADDRESS: 1615 W Chicago Ave

SHIFT: Monday through Friday

HOURS: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (with on‑call rotation availability)

Availability to work nights and weekends is required.

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree, PLUS four (4) years of experience conducting investigations (criminal, civil or fact finding), with at least two (2) of the four (4) years conducting misconduct investigations that involve gathering, analyzing and evaluating evidence; conducting in‑depth research, analysis and report writing; and conducting interviews with witnesses.
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree or higher, PLUS three (3) years of experience conducting investigations (criminal, civil or fact finding), with at least one (1) of the three (3) years conducting misconduct investigations that involve gathering, analyzing and evaluating evidence; conducting in‑depth research, analysis and report writing; and conducting interviews with witnesses.

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

• A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required
• Availability to work any duty watch is required
• Availability to participate in the on‑call rotation in response to incidents requiring immediate investigation by the agency
• Certification:
  • Certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board as a Lead Homicide Investigator, or similar training approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board or the Department of State Police, or similar training provided at an Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board certified school, OR
  • Is willing to undergo such training within six months of hire in order to maintain position as a Major Case Specialist
• Preference will be given to candidates possessing the following:
  • A Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA‑accredited law school
  • Previous professional experience with a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency as a sworn law enforcement officer
  • Previous professional experience investigating incidents involving death or serious injury
  • Trained or certified by an accredited body as a Lead Homicide Investigator
  • Previous full‑time employment with a local, state, or federal oversight agency
  • Previous professional experience conducting investigations of employee misconduct or criminal conduct for either a government entity or a business entity that is not a retail establishment
  • Previous professional experience prosecuting or defending felony criminal cases

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to walk and stand for extended or continuous periods of time
• Ability to access locations where shootings or alleged misconduct occurred

NOTE: Per City of Chicago Municipal Ordinance 2-78-120, no investigator employed by COPA shall be a current or former sworn member of CPD within the last five years.

NOTE: You must provide your transcripts or diploma AND valid driver's license at the time of processing.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to successfully pass a skills assessment test and complete an interview, which will include a written exercise. Test results will be sent out by the Department of Human Resources after test results have been compiled and analyzed. Applicants who receive a passing score on the test will be selected to interview. The interviewed candidate(s) receiving a passing score on the test and possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral interview and written exercise, will be selected for hire. Selected Bidders will be hired in seniority order according to the collective bargaining agreement.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dhr/provdrs/Job_Classification_Compensation/svcs/classification-and-pay-plan.html#docaccess-ba6c316e7a6d538348ff53b1eeebb6ab

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio‑Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor