MAJOR CASE SPECIALIST - COPA

City of Chicago Department of Law; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) in Chicago seeks a Major Case Specialist to lead investigations into officer-involved deaths and serious misconduct, supervising investigations and coordinating with CPD and prosecutors.

Responsibilities include directing investigative staff, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, reviewing reports, and presenting at hearings. Must have a law/enforcement background, lead homicide training, and be willing to join on-call rotation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus four years investigations experience, with two years misconduct investigations.
• Master’s degree plus three years investigations experience with misconduct exposure.
• Valid Illinois driver’s license and willingness to work on-call rotations.

Responsibilities

• Directs the work of the investigative staff on major case investigations.
• Interviews complainants, witnesses and department members to gather facts.
• Maintains case files, updates case management records, and prepares investigation reports.
• Testifies in court, arbitration hearings and before the Police Board as needed.

Skills

Investigations

Interviewing witnesses

Evidence analysis

Report writing

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

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Job Description - MAJOR CASE SPECIALIST - COPA (420178)

Job Description

Job Number

420178

Description

BID/JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

MAJOR CASE SPECIALIST – COPA

Civilian Office of Police Accountability

Investigations Unit

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

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.

1. Check the box on your profile titled “Currently employed by the City of Chicago”

2. Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled ‘payee/employee number’)

3. Select your correct bargaining unit

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION.

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm Central time on 10/09/2026.

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.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Directs the work of the investigative staff on major case investigations
• Responds to the scene of incidents resulting in death or serious injury to non-department members and coordinates and conducts investigative activities related to such incidents as required
• Monitors on-scene activities of department evidence technicians for officer involved death investigations and investigations involving the discharge of a weapon by a department member, as required
• Interviews complainants, witnesses and department members to gather facts in order to investigate incidents involving possible misconduct by department members
• Conducts canvasses at the location of the incident to locate witnesses, obtain relevant information and evidence
• Obtains and analyzes reports related to the incident, including reports related to forensic and scientific analysis
• Maintains working knowledge of department rules, policies and general orders
• Prepares reports of investigation activities conducted to document investigative process
• Updates and maintains case management records to report on status of investigations
• Maintains comprehensive, organized case files and manages documents pursuant to all legal rules
• Obtains and reviews court documents in related civil and criminal matters to identify relevant information and statements made by department members and witnesses
• Consults and collaborates with Legal staff as needed to identify, assess and address legal issues
• Collaborates with attorneys to prepare and present at police disciplinary arbitrations and police board hearings, including the assessment and development of litigation strategy
• Consults with attorneys to review disciplinary charges prior to being presented to department members to ensure accuracy and consistency with investigatory findings
• Maintains contact with CPD detectives to stay apprised of investigative developments in related criminal investigations
• Identifies and reports on opportunities for pattern and practice investigations; conducts pattern and practice investigations at the direction of management
• Testifies in court, arbitration hearings and before the Police Board as needed
• Collaborates with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and the U. S. Attorney's Office to prepare cases for criminal proceedings
• Identifies areas of improvement to police department tactics and training based on information obtained through investigations
• Monitors cases as they proceed through the disciplinary system to ensure timely completion
• Prepares reports of investigation based on analysis of the evidence in light of the legal framework and makes preliminary recommendations regarding appropriate disciplinary action or other intervention that is appropriate based on the investigatory findings

Additional duties may be required for this position.

DEPARTMENT

DEPARTMENT: Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA)

UNIT

UNIT: Investigations

ADDRESS

ADDRESS: 1615 W Chicago Ave

SHIFT

SHIFT: Monday through Friday

HOURS

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.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training, and Experience

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.

Should the above criteria not be fulfilled, the following options are acceptable:

• 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
• 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:

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

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.

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