Anger over alleged abuses by North Chicago police exploded into public view in November after 45-year-old Darrin “Dagwood” Hanna died following officers’ intervention in a domestic incident.
Residents started packing every city council meeting to demand a change in the department’s leadership. Residents and civil lawyers came forward -- and continue to come forward -- with cases in which arrestees claimed they were beaten by police.
But it remained unclear how often the city’s officers had used force in recent years, how often the department had been sued and how frequently officers had faced discipline over accusations of brutality.
Tribune editors and reporters set out to measure the scope of the issue using court records, interviews with sources and a bevy of Freedom of Information Act requests.
Among other discoveries, reporter Robert McCoppin and I found that use of force incidents increased steadily in each of the last four years, from eight in 2008 to 28 in 2011. North Chicago's own analysis marked that increase in use-of-force reports, though we were the first to report it.
During that time, only four officers were disciplined for the use of force, and none of those officers were dismissed from the department. The Tribune’s inquiry also found issues with departmental paperwork designed to ensure the monitoring of the use of force -- reports that were supposed to be reviewed by a supervisor to determine whether force was justified often were left blank.
The story, in Friday’s newspaper, helps to quantify a controversy that has gripped the city’s politics for months. Residents have shown no sign that they plan to let the issue fade.