Members of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) Chief Administrator Selection Search Committee today announced their unanimous recommendation for the next leader of the City’s civilian police accountability agency. Following a national search, the Search Committee selected Director of Secretary of State Department of Police Sydney Roberts as the next COPA Chief Administrator and Mayor Emanuel accepted the Committee’s recommendation.

“This Search Committee deserves all our thanks for volunteering their time and expertise to work collaboratively in support of this city’s efforts to create a strong, lasting system of police accountability,” said Mayor Emanuel.

“This diverse group represents many communities in our city, and their vote of confidence in Ms. Roberts is an encouraging step forward.”

Roberts’ appointment will be introduced during City Council today for approval. She would fill the remainder of Sharon Fairley’s four year term.

“It is an honor to have been selected and to have the opportunity to serve in a capacity to build trust and confidence in the police accountability structure of Chicago,” said Sydney Roberts. “I promise, as I have done my entire career, to make decisions based only on the facts, and to lead COPA with fairness, openness and independence as my guiding principles."

The Search Committee’s mission, developed by the Committee itself, was to “draw on their diverse experiences and use cooperative efforts to screen and evaluate candidates dedication to the goals of public safety, community engagement, objectivity, thoroughness and independence.” They were responsible for planning and articulating the job requirements, conducting outreach and recruitment, and interviewing candidates before submitting their final recommendation to the Mayor. The Search Committee conducted multiple meetings over the five-month process to determine applicant qualifications, including gathering input from police accountability experts in other cities. In addition, every committee member was afforded an opportunity to review applications and meet all candidates before making a final recommendation.

“Sydney Roberts is the right person, at the right time, for the right job,” said Alderman Ariel Reboyras, Chairman of the City Council Committee on Public Safety. “Sydney will not only uphold COPA’s core values of integrity, transparency, independence and timeliness, she will work closely with Chicago residents and lead this important organization into the future.”

The 20-member volunteer search committee, consisting of advocacy leaders, members of the COPA Advisory Council, faith leaders, academics and attorneys, conducted a local and national search to find the next permanent COPA Chief Administrator. During the search, the Committee mourned the passing of Pastor Ron Taylor of the United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations and are grateful that Mecole Jordan from the same organization stepped in to ably serve and provide valuable input. While the committee had the opportunity to recommend multiple candidates, by unanimous consensus the Search Committee determined Roberts was the best applicant and submitted only her for consideration.

"Sydney was the unanimous choice of a very diverse and highly motivated search committee,” said Paula Wolff, Director of the Illinois Justice Project and Search Committee Co-Chair. “In addition to her years of management experience and her superb investigative skills, we were impressed with her passion for public accountability and respect for the rights of all residents of Chicago-- community members and police officers alike. Those who know her and have worked with her uniformly commented that ‘she will always do what is right.'”

Sydney Roberts has more than 30 years of experience in state and local government agencies involved in policing and oversight, where she had extensive involvement in investigations of allegations of wrongdoing by civilian and sworn personnel. Since 2010, Roberts has served in the Secretary of State Department of Police, first as Chief Deputy Director/Colonel and then as Director where she oversees all statewide investigative districts as well as the security of the Illinois State Capitol Campus. From 2005 to 2010, she served as First Deputy and then Chief Operating Officer for the Illinois Office of Executive Inspector General, leading investigations of fraud, waste, abuse and misconduct. Before that, she was Inspector General for the state Department of Human Services. Prior, she served as a sworn member of law enforcement, including as Police Commander of the Maywood Police Department where she led internal affairs efforts and in the NJ Essex County Prosecutor Office as a Lieutenant of Internal Affairs.

“Sydney Roberts has done an outstanding job as Director of the Illinois Secretary of State Police and she is an excellent choice to serve as Chief Administrator for COPA. Sydney brings legal training, a law enforcement background and an ability to work well with people from different points of view,” said Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, adding, “she will do very well in this position.”

Roberts holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Delaware, a Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law and a Master’s of Science in criminology from the University of Oxford. She is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

“I had the opportunity to know Sydney from when we worked at the Illinois Department of Human Services,” said Grace Hou, President of the Woods Foundation. “I remember her to be a person of integrity - motivated by truth and justice above all.”

Roberts’ appointment is subject to the approval by City Council, as provided in the Civilian Office of Police Accountability ordinance. If approved, the Chief Administrator will serve out the remainder of the inaugural four-year term, which began with the launch of COPA on September 15, 2017.

“It was an honor to serve on the Search Committee, representing a diverse cross section of our community, and whose members were focused and diligent in our work to find a leader who would fulfill the highest values of our city in the important work of police accountability,” said Z Scott, Partner at Foley & Lardner LLP and Search Committee Co-Chair. “One of the most critical public safety tools is trust, and COPA’s new leader must demonstrate professionalism, independence and fairness in all of their pursuits. There is no individual more qualified or capable to complete that mission than Sydney.”

In October 2016, the City Council passed Mayor Emanuel’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability ordinance establishing COPA, following public hearings, discussions with Council members, feedback from residents across the city and the Police Accountability Task Force report. In October 2017, Mayor Emanuel appointed the chairs of COPA Chief Administrator Search Committee: Paula Wolff, Director of the Illinois Justice Project, and Z Scott, Partner at Foley & Lardner LLP. During the search, retired Judge Patricia Banks, former presiding judge of the Elder Law & Miscellaneous Remedies Division, was appointed and currently serves as interim-Chief Administrator.

“Sydney Roberts impressed the committee with her strong credentials, relevant experience, and commitment to both law enforcement and the communities they serve,” said Bonnie Allen, Executive Director, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. “It was an honor to serve on the search committee, and I commend the City for inviting a broad range of individuals that represented key constituencies to be a part of this process.”

In November 2017, Mayor Emanuel named the members of the COPA Chief Administrator Search Committee, which include:

Bonnie Allen, Executive Director, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

Eddie Bocanegra, Senior Director, READi Chicago, Heartland Alliance

Dwayne Bryant*, Founder & CEO, Inner Vision International

Jeffrey Cramer, Managing Director, Berkeley Research Group

Ramon Estrada*, General Counsel, Chicago Housing Authority

Emmett Farmer*, Affected family member

Dean Creasie Finney Hairston*, Dean, UIC, Jane Addams College of Social Work

Deborah Harrington, Board of Directors, BPI

Kim L. Hunt, Executive Director, Pride Action Tank

Mecole Jordan, United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations

Dorri McWhorter, CEO, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago

Rev. Dr. Johnny Miller*, Pastor, Mt. Vernon Baptist Church

Michelle Morales, Executive Officer, Mikva Challenge

Xavier Ramey, CEO, Justice Informed

Steven Saltzman*, Civil Rights Attorney

Remel Terry*, 2nd Vice President, NAACP Westside

Richard Wooten*, Gathering Point Community Council and former CPD officer

*member of the COPA Community Advisory Council

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