Top cop scolded by Police Board for ‘insulting’ failure to deliver report

Chicago police Supt. Eddie Johnson was scolded by the Chicago Police Board for failing to deliver an oral report on the status of police matters at its monthly board meeting.

“Mr. President, I’m going to waive tonight. We don’t really have [any] additional information other than what was said last month. Next month we should be prepared to give a report,” Johnson said at the Chicago Public Safety Headquarters Thursday night.

A visibly taken aback Ghian Foreman, board president, asked Johnson if he was sure of his decision. He reminded the superintendent that his request not to report would be voted on by all the board members present, and it would likely fail. It did.

“OK, Mr. President, if you want me to give something, just so that the audience knows, the comments that were made last month regarding the Chicago Police Department, we sent a letter in response out in regards to those questions,” Johnson said.

At the Aug. 22 meeting, Octavia Mitchell asked about the status of her request for DNA evidence from the investigation into the 2010 police-involved shooting of her son, Izeal Jackson. John Perryman and Barney Barnhart expressed concerns about drug sales and troubled businesses in West Garfield Park.

Johnson promised to check into the matters immediately.

Thursday, Foreman told the top cop he found it “insulting” that his oral report was simply a regurgitation of what occurred at the last meeting.

“Superintendent, at the police board meetings there is a duty for you to provide a report. We have stated that we will no longer waive the report,” Foreman said. “We believe that we, the police board, have a right to get this information, as well as the public.”

“It is my and this full board’s expectation that there will be an oral report presented every month,” Foreman added.

Johnson calmly responded, “Duly noted.”