An activist and independent journalist is suing the Chicago Police Department, alleging it has taken too long to fulfill his already-modified Freedom of Information Act request for records concerning officer misconduct complaints.
Jamie Kalven filed the suit Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court. Last summer, following a legal back and forth, the city turned over to Kalven lists of hundred of officers accused of misconduct.
Kalven said he filed another FOIA request last December for records of each officer misconduct complaint since 1967. Included in those records, he also asked for accused officers’ addresses, dates of birth and employee ID numbers, the suit said.
After the city initially denied his request in full, Kalven agreed to omit information about addresses, dates of birth and employee numbers. The city also agreed to modify its denial, while still complying with a judge’s order to not turn over records more than four years old.
On Jan. 9, the city “promised to produce” records less than four years old, the suit stated.
However, on Jan. 26 Kalven had still not received his fulfilled request. He followed up with the police department’s attorney, who said “I have been reaching out to them all day with no response, will continue to reach out tomorrow,” the suit stated.
Kalven has still not received any of his requested records, the suit stated.
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A spokesman for the city’s law department did not comment on the lawsuit Tuesday afternoon.
The single-count suit alleges a violation of the Freedom of Information Act and asks the court to order the CPD to produce the records. Kalven is also asking the court to assign the case a hearing and trial “at the earliest possible date.”
