by The Chicago Times Staff
November 16, 2021
CHICAGO – Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s choice to lead the city’s civilian police watchdog group has outraged twenty Chicago aldermen.
Andrea Kersten, the interim leader of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), has been appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to the permanent position.
The aldermen released a letter in which they stated that they “vehemently oppose” her nomination. This comes after Kersten issued a report recommending that fallen Officer Ella French be suspended for a botched 2019 raid.
According to COPA, Kersten has been a member of COPA’s leadership team for the past five years. Kersten began her career at COPA as the Chief Investigative Law Officer in the legal department and then rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief Administrator in charge of Investigations, and eventually led the entire investigative unit as the Chief of Investigative Operations. Kersten holds a J.D. from the John Marshall Law School and a B.A. in Sociology from North Park University.
Kersten’s nomination requires 26 votes in the City Council to be approved.
The Chicago Times 