Chicago’s civilian police watchdog is looking for fresh voices, and fast. The city is taking applications to fill three seats on its seven-member Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, with the application window closing at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. That gives local leaders and younger residents only a short runway to throw their hats in the ring.
What the commission does
The Community Commission oversees the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) and the Chicago Police Board, and it has the authority to set policy for the Chicago Police Department. According to CCPSA, the commission helps select and evaluate top public-safety officials, can hold hearings and request investigations, and reviews CPD’s budget. Commissioners receive a $12,000 annual stipend, while the commission president is paid $15,000.
Seats open this cycle
The upcoming vacancies come as the two-year terms of Aaron Gottlieb, Abierre Minor and Angel Rubi Navarijo wrap up, creating three open seats on the commission, according to WTTW. Gottlieb and Navarijo have represented the North Side, while Minor has represented the South Side. Nominating-committee member Aisha Humphries told the outlet that “youth and North Side residents will have a special opportunity given the commission’s need.”
Who can apply and how
Applicants must have lived in Chicago for at least five years and typically need five years of combined experience in fields such as law, public policy, social work, psychology, mental health, community organizing, civil-rights advocacy or public safety. Applicants ages 18-24 are exempt from the experience requirement, per the CCPSA. The ordinance bars anyone who worked for CPD, COPA or the Police Board within the last five years from serving, and it also requires a balance of geography and expertise on the panel, including at least two commissioners who are attorneys and at least one with community-organizing experience.
Selection timeline
A 22-member nominating committee, made up of one elected District Council member from each of Chicago’s 22 police districts, will review applications, interview finalists and send at least two nominees for every vacancy to the mayor, who will then forward selected names to the City Council for confirmation, WTTW reports. WTTW adds that successful appointees will serve four-year terms once confirmed, and the committee expects to deliver its final list of nominees to the mayor in the weeks following the close of the application window.
