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Law Firm To Conduct Independent Audit Of IPRA Investigations Into Chicago Police Shootings

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police officers cleared of any wrong-doing could be re-investigated, under a new third party program announced Wednesday, reports CBS 2's Jim Williams.

In the 9 years since the creation of the Independent Police Review Authority, it has investigated 385 Chicago police-involved shootings. Only two probes showed officers violated policy.

Critics find it impossible to believe that with so many shootings, the number of cops violating policy could be that low and they're angry with IPRA.

"Trust in our agency in particular is at an all-time low since the agency was formed in 2007," said IPRA Chief Administrator Sharon Fairley.

So to mark her 100th day as IPRA's chief administrator, Sharon Fairley introduced a new management team and said a law firm, McGuire-Woods, will do independent audit taking a look a sample size of 20-to-40 police-involved shootings, cases now closed, to determine whether the investigations were done properly.

"The purpose of this audit is not to necessarily reopen cases," Fairley said. "The purpose of this audit to assess the processes and the policies that were in place that led to these outcomes."

But could the audit lead to punishment for Chicago police officers involved in cases that have been closed for years? Fairly didn't rule it out.

"That may or may not be the case and that would have to be looked at it on a case-by-case basis," Fairley said.

CBS 2 has reached out to the FOP for a response and haven't heard back. The audit, Sharon Fairley told reporters, should take six months and it is unclear how much it will cost.

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