Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy issued a joint statement affirming their shared commitment to ensuring constitutional policing in Joliet after Raoul’s office released the findings of its investigation into policing practices in Joliet. The city of Joliet and the Joliet Police Department (JPD) cooperated fully with the three-year investigation, providing access to data, responding to questions, and facilitating the investigative team’s access to information.
“Joliet residents deserve lawful and constitutional policing that is fair to all people, regardless of race or gender. We are committed to continuing the collaborative work that began when the prior Joliet city leadership, led by former Mayor Bob O’Dekirk, invited the Attorney General’s office to open an investigation, in response to concerns raised by the public, following the tragic death of Eric Lurry after his arrest in 2020 by JPD officers.
“Throughout the three years of this investigation, the city of Joliet and the Joliet Police Department have fully cooperated with this investigation. A team comprised of attorneys and staff in the Public Interest Division of the Attorney General’s office, in consultation with law enforcement experts, reviewed thousands of pages of documents provided by the department. In addition, the team carried out dozens of interviews with officers, supervisors, command staff, union representatives, members of the community and other professionals who interact with members of the department. The investigative team also made on-site visits, participated in ride-alongs, observed trainings, and reviewed hundreds of hours of squad car and body camera video.
“That work has culminated in a report; however, today’s report is not the conclusion. Rather, we will collaboratively continue, and expand the meaningful changes that have already been enacted since the election of Mayor D’Arcy. Mayor D’Arcy and the city of Joliet in conjunction with the Attorney General’s office are committed to an ongoing collaboration to enact additional changes and provide the gold standard of police services for its citizens.”
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