With Andrea Kersten’s announcement that she is stepping down as the leader of Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability, it is important to recognize where we are with police accountability in the city.

What COPA has achieved is nothing short of historic.

This is the first time in the history of Chicago that the agency responsible for investigating police misconduct has sought to hold officers accountable when they abuse their power and hurt people. It is the first time that agency has strived to conduct independent, unbiased and high-quality investigations and to make their work available to the public. It is the first time that agency has endeavored to provide timely and accurate information to the public when police officers kill community members.

Read more at Chicago Tribune