Entry Level Chicago Police Department Civilian Jobs

BID/JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
SPECIAL VICTIMS INVESTIGATOR - COPA
Civilian Office of Police Accountability
Investigations Unit
Number of Positions: 1
Starting Salary: $90,144.00
This position is open to current AFSCME BIDDERS AND the PUBLIC. Only current City employees covered under the City's Collective Bargaining Agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4, & 5 are considered BIDDERS and are eligible to bid. Qualified BIDDERS who properly submit a bid application will receive preference over any non-bidders.
BID INSTRUCTIONS : Apply on the bid site: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/103/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en AND
1. Check the box on your profile titled "Currently employed by the City of Chicago"
2. Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled 'payee/employee number')
3. Select your correct bargaining unit
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION.
*Successful candidates must pass a background investigation. Persons offered employment must pass all pre-employment exams prior to appointment.
Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm Central time on 09/04/ 2026.
Under general supervision, conducts investigations of a complex and sensitive nature involving allegations of misconduct involving vulnerable populations by members of the Chicago Police Department (CPD); and performs related duties as required.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Responds to notifications and conducts investigations of incidents involving allegations, often multi-layered, of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and other incidents of abuse involving vulnerable individuals
• Collects evidence (e.g., reports, medical records, videos, photographs) and identifies potential witnesses with information pertinent to allegations of misconduct
• Interviews complainants, witnesses, and CPD members to gather facts to investigate incidents involving possible misconduct by department members
• Conducts canvasses to locate witnesses and obtain relevant information and evidence
• Maintains a working knowledge of CPD rules, policies, and directives
• Drafts allegations of misconduct for supervisor review to ensure accuracy and consistency with agency standards
• Prepares reports of investigation based on analysis of the evidence and makes preliminary recommendations regarding appropriate disciplinary action or other intervention that is appropriate based on the investigatory findings
• Liaises and collaborates with other governmental agencies (i.e., law enforcement, prosecutorial, or social service agencies) conducting parallel investigations
• Maintains documentation and information in agency databases to accurately document all investigative steps and report on investigative status
• Obtains and reviews court documents in related civil and criminal matters to identify relevant information and statements made by CPD members and witnesses, as well as monitors progress of court proceedings
• Consults and collaborates with attorneys to identify, assess, and address legal issues and develop investigative strategy
• Collaborates with attorneys to prepare and present at police disciplinary arbitrations and Police Board hearings, including the assessment and development of litigation strategy, as well as testify in court, arbitration hearings and before the Police Board, as needed
• Consults with attorneys, as needed, to review disciplinary charges prior to being presented to CPD members to ensure accuracy and consistency with investigatory findings
• Collaborates with law enforcement agencies, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office to prepare cases for criminal proceedings, as needed
Additional duties may be required for this position.
DEPARTMENT: Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA)
UNIT: Investigations
ADDRESS: 1615 W Chicago Ave
SHIFT: Monday through Friday
HOURS: 9 :00 am - 5:00 pm (* with on-call rotation availability)
DAYS OFF: Saturday and Sunday
THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE.
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education, Training, and Experience
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree, plus three (3) years of experience conducting civil, criminal, or factual investigations that involve gathering, analyzing, and evaluating evidence; conducting in-depth research, analysis and report writing; and conducting interviews with witnesses OR advocacy for victims of abuse, exploitation, domestic and/or sexual violence (i.e., crisis intervention, safety planning, needs assessments, and support services related to orders of protection, housing, and medical needs)
Should the above criteria not be fulfilled, the following options are acceptable:
o Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree, plus two (2) years of experience conducting civil, criminal, or factual investigations that involve gathering, analyzing, and evaluating evidence; conducting in-depth research, analysis and report writing; and conducting interviews with witnesses OR advocacy for victims of abuse, exploitation, domestic and/or sexual violence (i.e., crisis intervention, safety planning, needs assessments, and support services related to orders of protection, housing, and medical needs)
o Graduation from an accredited American Bar Association (ABA) law school, plus two (2) years of litigation experience related to domestic and/or sexual violence, including civil orders of protection and no contact and stalking orders
Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications
• A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required.
• Availability to work any duty watch is required.
• Availability to participate in an on-call rotation to respond to incidents involving sexual misconduct, domestic violence, and other incidents of abuse involving vulnerable individuals.
• Bachelor's or postgraduate degree in Human Services, Sociology, Social Work, Counseling or related field preferred.
NOTE: Per City of Chicago Municipal Ordinance 2-78-120, no investigator employed by COPA shall be a current or former sworn member of CPD within the last five years.
NOTE: You must provide your transcripts or diploma and valid driver's license at the time of processing.
SELECTION REQUIREMENTS
This position requires applicants to complete an interview, which will include a written exercise and/or a skills assessment test as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected. Selected Bidders will be hired in seniority order according to the collective bargaining agreement.
For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html
For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dhr/provdrs/Job_Classification_Compensation/svcs/classification-and-pay-plan.html#docaccess-ba6c316e7a6d538348ff53b1eeebb6ab
APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resources staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.
ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.
The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.
City of Chicago
Brandon Johnson, Mayor