Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis has complied with a court order to turn over the names of officers who have five or more citizen complaints against them.
The president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Mark Donahue, issued the following statement on March 4 and said on Friday that he has nothing to add to it:
"In reference to Superintendent Jody Weis' being held in contempt of court for not releasing the names of Department members who have five citizen complaints filed against them since 2000, the Fraternal Order of Police also adamantly opposes the release of this information. As a matter of fact, the Fraternal Order of Police attempted to intervene in this case and the judge refused to allow it. We would have been standing with the City if he had.
The Fraternal Order of Police has taken a stand in opposition to the release of such information in the past and will continue to do so. Mere allegations of any level of seriousness are just that, allegations.
There is an unfortunate perception in society today that the police do not enjoy the same presumption of innocence of until proven guilty, that everyone else enjoys. The releasing of any information about the officers will have a negative impact on morale, which is currently at an all-time low, and could cause hesitation in the performance of the officers' duty which could seriously impact public safety, all for the sake of making a case and a bankroll for an attorney whose motivation has been shown to be finances and not overall public safety."
[Read: Top Cop Spills the Names]
