September 8, 2021

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO

JOLIET POLICE DEPARTMENT

Attorney General’s Office to Investigate Possible Patterns or Practices of Unlawful Policing

Chicago — Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that the Attorney General’s office is launching 

an investigation into possible patterns or practices of unconstitutional or unlawful policing by the Joliet Police 

Department. The civil investigation follows requests made by the Joliet mayor and members of the Joliet 

City Council.

The Attorney General’s office will examine the Joliet Police Department’s policies, training, practices and 

supervision as they relate to traffic and pedestrian stops, searches, arrests, and uses of force. Career 

attorneys from Raoul’s Civil Rights and Special Litigation bureaus will conduct a thorough review of the 

department’s policies, reports, documents and trainings. In addition, the investigative team will conduct 

interviews and meetings with Joliet law enforcement officers, city government officials, Joliet residents, 

advocates, and other stakeholders.

“After receiving the request from Joliet’s mayor and city officials, my office began a preliminary review of 

Joliet Police Department records and other information. It is clear that a formal investigation is needed to 

look at whether the department has engaged in patterns or practices of unlawful or unconstitutional 

policing,” Raoul said. “In the coming weeks, the Attorney General’s office will conduct a thorough, impartial 

and independent review of whether reforms are needed under the law.”

Attorney General Raoul’s investigation follows a request by Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk and members of the 

Joliet City Council in June 2020 to conduct an investigation. In response to this request, the Attorney 

General’s office requested information from the city of Joliet and the Joliet Police Department, and both have 

been fully cooperative in providing this information. Following a preliminary review of department of the 

information provided as well as publicly-available records, Raoul’s office is now initiating a formal 

investigation. The Attorney General’s office will take specific incidents into account during the investigation; 

however, the investigation’s questions, findings and conclusions will be focused on whether systemic 

problems exist within the Joliet Police Department. The investigation is civil in nature and will not reconsider 

criminal charging decisions within the jurisdiction of local prosecutors.

Attorneys and subject matter experts from the Attorney General’s office will conduct a detailed review of the 

Joliet Police Department’s policies and training. Raoul’s office will also inspect department reports resulting 

from traffic and pedestrian stops, searches and arrests. Of particular interest will be the Joliet Police 

Department’s policies and practices related to the use of force and supervisory and department reviews of 

these incidents. In addition, Raoul’s attorneys and experts will investigate the department’s handling of 

misconduct allegations against officers by reviewing complaints from the public, the department’s 

investigations into those complaints, as well as any resulting corrective or disciplinary action.

Raoul and career attorneys from the office’s Civil Rights and Special Litigation bureaus have met with Mayor 

O’Dekirk, Joliet Police Department Chief Dawn M. Malec, Joliet City Manager Jim Capparelli, Joliet City 

Attorney Sabrina Spano and the Will County State’s Attorney’s office.

“We have begun meeting with government officials, law enforcement personnel, community advocates and 

people directly affected by policing in Joliet,” Raoul added. “I appreciate the cooperative approach expressed 

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Case: 1:20-cv-04545 Document #: 124-19 Filed: 06/15/23 Page 1 of 2 PageID #:2944
by city and departmental leadership, as well as the proactive steps initiated by Chief Malec since her recent 

promotion I am committed to conducting an independent and unbiased investigation that prioritizes public 

and officer safety and the lived experiences of all areas of the Joliet community.”

Raoul and members of his staff have also met privately with the family of Eric D. Lurry Jr.. Later today, 

Attorney General Raoul’s attorneys will meet with community groups, department leadership and union 

representatives. In addition, Attorney General Raoul’s staff will seek input from the public on their 

interactions with Joliet law enforcement in public and private meetings. Raoul’s office will convene a virtual 

town hall meeting in the coming weeks, and additional information will be released to the public at a later 

date.

Attorney General Raoul’s investigation into possible patterns or practices of unlawful policing by the Joliet 

Police Department is being conducted using the office’s authority under the Illinois Attorney General Act, the 

Illinois Human Rights Act, and the Illinois Civil and Equal Rights Enforcement Act. The investigation is the 

first of its kind since the 2021 Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act went 

into effect July 1, 2021. The SAFE-T Act gives the Attorney General’s office authority to investigate and take 

civil action to address patterns or practices of unconstitutional or unlawful policing.

Attorney General Raoul is encouraging individuals who have information relevant to the investigation to 

email input.joliet@ilag.gov or call the Attorney General’s office at 833-243-1498. Additional information about 

the investigation is available on the Attorney General’s website.

A Spanish translation of this press release is available here.

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