Verónica Martinez / Injustice Watch
The Chicago Police Department’s “merit” promotions have elevated officers with a history of misconduct—including fatal shootings and excessive force. Our latest investigation reveals how CPD’s controversial promotion system continues to reward officers with troubling records, while the city keeps the public in the dark. Officer John Poulos violated CPD policy and fatally shot two unarmed Black teens. Instead of facing consequences, he was promoted.
The City of Chicago hasn’t released a single official merit promotion list in eight years, despite promising transparency. Today, anonymous blogs are the only public source of information about who’s receiving these promotions. Officers linked to excessive force, wrongful raids, and misconduct during the 2020 protests have all benefited. Our investigation was co-published with the Chicago Reader and Injustice Watch.