Calls for a more thorough investigation into the ties between Chicago police officers and extremist groups have intensified, as activists from the 33rd Ward, the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and local officials press for action. Residents and social justice advocates are demanding an external inquiry following a decision two months prior by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) officials not to discipline officers with connections to the Oath Keepers, an act the groups have deemed a display of "inadequate" investigation. This argument was laid out in a news conference held outside the Horner Park fieldhouse.
At the core of the inquiry is Officer Alberto Retamozo, a CPD member assigned to the 17th District, who, along with others, has been named in the probe into potential affiliations with the contentious group; the investigation, conducted by CPD's Bureau of Internal Affairs, is currently under scrutiny for not interviewing anyone other than the officers in question which thus prompted allegations from community members like Steve Spagnolo, chair of the 17th police district council who said "We should not have Oath Keepers on our force," reflecting a deep-seated concern about the presence of extremist ideologies within the police force. The community is also seeking the complete names and complaint histories of officers within the 17th Police District and an end to pretextual traffic stops.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization, has been actively involved, having sent a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson and CPD Supt. Larry Snelling requested for a 'more thorough investigation,' as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. Echoing this demand, Alderman Rossana Rodriguez's statement read by Paulina Vaca, a 33rd Ward resident, further reinforced the call for an "independent and thorough investigation into this matter."
The inspector general’s office acknowledged the deficiencies of the internal affairs investigation, noting that BIA's inquiries suffered from shortcomings that "materially affecting its outcome;" however, even with this admission, there has not been a reopening of the case, this status quo has angered activists and community members alike who argue, as Grace Patino from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression firmly articulated, "We are the people, and we are the ones who employ the police," said Grace Patino with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, "We pay for their salaries. We pay for their overtime. And we pay for the misconduct cases. We have a right and a responsibility to stand up and say that Oath Keeper cops aren't welcome here," as CBS News Chicago reported. In response to the growing discontent, The inspector general's office has yet to announce the initiation of a new investigation.
