Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy today issued a joint statement affirming their shared commitment to ensuring constitutional policing in Joliet after Raoul’s office released the findings of its investigation into policing practices in Joliet.

The report includes a summary of the findings, including:

“The Office of the Illinois Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that JPD engages in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution, federal law, and state law:
• JPD uses unreasonable force, including tasers, head strikes, and other types of force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S Constitution.

• JPD’s inadequate crisis intervention response system contributes to its pattern of unreasonable force against people with behavioral health disabilities in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

• JPD’s policing practices discriminate against Black people and raise concerns that JPD is discriminating against Latino people in violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) and the Illinois Civil Rights Act (ICRA).

• JPD’s response to sexual assault discriminates against women, and its response to domestic violence raises serious concerns of discrimination against women in violation of the IHRA and ICRA.

• Failures in JPD’s accountability systems have directedly contributed to these patterns of unconstitutional and unlawful policing.

“We also found persistent deficiencies in JPD’s policies, training, supervision, data collection, and record-keeping practices that have contributed to these problems and enabled them to persist.”

But in a press release separate from Raoul’s, city officials contend the report does not accurately reflect current law enforcement policies, procedures and operations.

“This is not the Joliet Police Department of today, but rather a picture of the past,” said Police Chief Bill Evans in the city’s release.

“Since the onset of the investigation, we have fully cooperated with the Attorney General’s Office. We provided them with unfettered access to all available information because we wanted to be as transparent as possible.

“In reading the report, we respectfully
disagree with some of the conclusions drawn from their investigation.”

Evans points to the significant changes that have taken place in recent years.

“We have new leadership in both the mayor’s office and the city manager’s office, and they support the direction this department has taken since the Attorney General’s Office became involved,” Evans explained.

“I’ve been chief for two and a half years and have directed the most experienced and diverse command staff to make the changes needed to move the department forward.”

At a recent city council meeting, Evans highlighted the department’s success in reducing crime across nearly all categories. The department has a 92% success rate in closing homicide cases—one of the highest in the region, the city’s press release said.

“This was accomplished through our partnership with citizens and community policing efforts.”

Since 2021, Evans stated, the department has made numerous improvements in key areas of police operations.“We’re proud to have updated over 90 policies regarding overall operations, including police accountability, transparency, and oversight. This department far exceeds all state-mandated training, and we’ve upgraded our technology and equipment, including outfitting all our officers with body-worn cameras to increase accountability and oversight.”

In late June, JPD and city officials hosted the city’s first-ever Public Safety Forum to address concerns raised by the community and facilitate meaningful interaction between police officials and residents.

“This was an opportunity to build trust and legitimacy with our community, he said.

“We take community engagement seriously and have implemented a program to gauge community sentiment.
The program, which was rolled out in late August, is a post-survey sent to citizens who call 911 for various types of service.

“The findings showed an overall satisfaction rate exceeding 85%, with citizens reporting positive views of the agency, the way they were treated, and the respect they were given.

“To better reflect the diversity of the Joliet community, the department has also increased diversity in the hiring of both sworn and non-sworn personnel.”

Evans acknowledges that there is always room for improvement but supports the department’s rank and file, stating that the report mischaracterizes the department.

“It is unclear what evidence or metrics were used to draw the conclusions in the final report. Some of the evidence cited dates back to 2017, nearly a decade ago, and does not reflect how we operate today.

“The Attorney General’s Office acknowledges the department’s progress and cooperation. Our department will continue to collaborate with the Attorney General’s Office to make meaningful
changes and strive to make Joliet Police operations the gold standard in Illinois.”

In the city’s release, D’Arcy also expressed support for the men and women in the department who put their lives on the line every day.

“This report was initiated under the prior administration, when relations between City Hall and the Police Department were tenuous at best. This is a new day in Joliet, and we are making significant changes
in how we work together to serve our residents.

“Joliet has some of the finest and most dedicated individuals, who put their lives on the line every day to protect residents and property. We will continue to move forward and leave This chapter of city operations in the past.”

The AG’s office in its release notes several times the city of Joliet and the Joliet Police Department (JPD) cooperated fully with the three-year investigation, providing access to data, responding to questions, and facilitating the investigative team’s access to information.

“Joliet residents deserve lawful and constitutional policing that is fair to all people, regardless of race or gender. We are committed to continuing the collaborative work that began when the prior Joliet city leadership, led by former Mayor Bob O’Dekirk, invited the Attorney General’s office to open an investigation, in response to concerns raised by the public, following the tragic death of Eric Lurry after his arrest in 2020 by JPD officers.

“Throughout the three years of this investigation, the city of Joliet and the Joliet Police Department have fully cooperated with this investigation. A team comprised of attorneys and staff in the Public Interest Division of the Attorney General’s office, in consultation with law enforcement experts, reviewed thousands of pages of documents provided by the department.

“In addition, the team carried out dozens of interviews with officers, supervisors, command staff, union representatives, members of the community and other professionals who interact with members of the department. The investigative team also made on-site visits, participated in ride-alongs, observed trainings, and reviewed hundreds of hours of squad car and body camera video.

“That work has culminated in a report; however, today’s report is not the conclusion. Rather, we will collaboratively continue, and expand the meaningful changes that have already been enacted since the election of Mayor D’Arcy.

“Mayor D’Arcy and the city of Joliet in conjunction with the Attorney General’s office are committed to an ongoing collaboration to enact additional changes and provide the gold standard of police services for its citizens.”

The report also stated, “On September 8, 2021, the Office of the Illinois Attorney General formally opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the Joliet Police Department (JPD). The investigation focused on the Department as a whole, rather than on a single incident or officer.

“From the beginning, JPD and the City of Joliet have cooperated and provided access to their files, data, and staff. We recognize that many JPD officers serve their community with professionalism, dedication, and courage. However, our investigation uncovered persistent problems that have continued unchecked over the years.

“A catalyst of our investigation was the January 2020 death in custody of Eric Lurry, a 37-year-old Black man, who died after losing consciousness in a JPD squad car during a narcotics surveillance operation. Upon arrival at the JPD station, a JPD sergeant slapped Mr. Lurry in the face and pinched his nose shut for nearly 90 seconds while another officer inserted a baton in his mouth and removed several clear baggies. Officers pulled an unresponsive Mr. Lurry out of the squad car and began CPR.

“Paramedics arrived and transported Mr. Lurry to a local hospital, where he died ten hours later. In June 2020, a JPD sergeant leaked a video of the incident, prompting Joliet’s then-mayor Robert O’Dekirk and several city council members to request that our office investigate Mr. Lurry’s death and JPD’s handling of the incident.

“Although our office does not have authority to investigate individual incidents, we do have the power to investigate underlying, systemic issues that affect the Department’s ability to deliver constitutional and lawful police services.

“After conducting a careful review of publicly available information and documents provided by JPD, we identified substantial concerns that warranted opening a full investigation.”
To see the full report, click Here