Press Release

Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) Nominates LaKenya White for Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) Chief Administrator

Date:

January 29, 2026

CHICAGO- Today, the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
(CCPSA) announced the nomination of LaKenya White to serve as the next Chief
Administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), following a
nationwide, community-informed search process launched in February 2025.
COPA is the independent agency responsible for investigating and making disciplinary
recommendations in all instances in which a Chicago Police officer discharges a weapon,
or when a person dies or is seriously injured while detained or in police custody. COPA
also investigates the most serious allegations of misconduct involving CPD members,
including excessive force, sexual misconduct, improper searches, bias-based verbal
abuse, and unlawful denial of counsel.
By ordinance, when a vacancy occurs in the office of the Chief Administrator, the
Commission is charged with leading a national search and selecting a nominee, subject
to confirmation by Chicago City Council.

Throughout the search, Commissioners engaged extensively to understand what
leadership COPA needs to succeed and what qualities communities expect in the
agency’s next Chief Administrator. The Commission held citywide listening sessions, met
with COPA staff, engaged police unions, consulted with local and national subject-matter
experts, and collected feedback from community members, CPD members, young people,
and individuals directly impacted by police misconduct. This input directly informed the
evaluation criteria, interview questions, and scoring rubrics used throughout the process.
Across this engagement, the Commission consistently heard that COPA’s next leader
must demonstrate integrity, investigative excellence, commitment to timely and impartial
investigations, the ability to strengthen internal culture, and the capacity to work
collaboratively within Chicago’s broader police accountability system.

“COPA’s work requires leadership that understands both the technical demands of
complex investigations and the human impact those investigations have on families,
officers, and communities. LaKenya has spent her career inside Chicago’s police
accountability system, and she understands how this agency operates at every level. That
depth of experience is exactly what COPA needs in the next Chief Administrator,” said
President Remel Terry.
The Commission received more than 20 applications from candidates across the country.
After multiple rounds of evaluation and interviews, and in accordance with the Open
Meetings Act, Commissioners voted at their January 29 public meeting to nominate
LaKenya White.

White, a Chicago native, brings nearly 25 years of experience in civilian police oversight
and has worked at every level of the city’s accountability system. She began her career in
2000 as an Intake Aide with the Office of Professional Standards and became an
Investigator following the creation of the Independent Police Review Authority in 2007,
later serving as a Shooting Specialist handling numerous officer-involved shooting
investigations. When COPA was established in 2017, White joined the agency as a Major
Case Specialist responding to critical incidents. She later served as a union
representative for AFSCME Local 654.

In 2021, White was promoted to Supervising Investigator, overseeing investigative teams
and complex cases. At the end of 2023, she was appointed Director of Investigations for
Intake, overseeing all incoming complaints and jurisdictional determinations. She was
named Interim Chief Administrator of COPA in March 2025 and currently leads an agency
of approximately 140 professionals conducting high-stakes investigations in one of the
country’s most complex police oversight environments.

During her tenure as Interim Chief, White has focused on strengthening investigative
quality, consistency, and timeliness, while also improving internal operations and staff
morale. Her leadership has emphasized fair and thorough investigations, clearer
disciplinary recommendations, and building an agency that can stand confidently behind
its work. She has also prioritized training that deepens investigators’ understanding of
CPD policy and law-enforcement decision-making, helping ensure accountability
decisions are grounded in both rigor and practical context. At the same time, she has
worked closely with the Commission to strengthen accountability practices, including
new policies related to patterns-and- practice investigations, community-based
mediation, and clearer external communications.

“LaKenya knows this work, in this City, in a way that very few people do. She understands
what it takes to run complex investigations well, support staff doing difficult work, and
keep the agency focused on its mission. The Commission has confidence in her ability to
lead COPA and looks forward to presenting our nominee to the Chicago City Council for
consideration,” said Commissioner Aaron Gottlieb.

White holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Chicago State University and
MBA with a focus on Fraudulent Investigations from St. Xavier University. She also holds
multiple professional certifications and serves as a trainer for new COPA investigators.
Following the Commission’s vote, the Mayor has 30 days to submit written input on the
nomination. After that period, or upon receipt of the Mayor’s input, the City Council
Committee on Police and Fire will hold a public hearing. If advanced by the Committee,
the nomination will proceed to a vote of the full City Council.

If the City Council does not approve the Commission’s selection, the Commission will
have 30 days to submit a new nominee. The Commission may select another candidate
from the existing finalist pool or request that the search continue to identify additional
candidates.