The internal examination of Metra raises transparency issues

Metra commissioned a team of external lawyers who worked for more than seven months to carry out an internal examination that the agency cost almost $ 1.57 million.

However, the result of the investigation of 2023 remains hidden after the railway authority has refused to create public reports or memos that were created by the law firm McGuirewoods.

The examination was based on anonymous symptoms that were carried out on Metra about the agency's police authority, and the invoices of the lawyers indicate the scope of the work: McGuirewoods carried out an analysis in connection with an “examination of a potential different treatment”. On 130 pages of legal invoices, the reference to incidents and complaints from “EEO” was also included. This goes from documents of the tribune through an application for Freedom of Information Act.

Nevertheless, Metra throws the publication of information about the result of the investigation – and the decision of the agency to rely on an external law firm in order to examine its police authority primarily, questions about Metra's motives, said the supporters of the transparency of the Government.

“I think it can certainly say that in view of the widespread use of Metra in view of the scope and costs of this investigation and how many people are dependent every day, a strong public interest in knowing what they have found” , said Jack Bentley, “said Jack Bentley, executive director of the Citizen Advocacy Center based in Elmhurst.” And I think we should first Encourage to encourage metra to rethink their position. “

The internal examination was previously reported by the Daily Herald, but the details remain unclear. Metra refused an application for copies of the report by Tribune Public Record, citing lawyers and permissions, and found that the documents contain preliminary recommendations that contain legal credit and analyzes that can be held back. The General Prosecutor's office agreed that Metra could hold back the report.

Nevertheless, the work of lawyers and employees of McGuirewoods was extensive, as the bills show.

The lawyers carried out interviews, including with former employees and in at least one case the wife of a witness. They prepared for interviews with “upper command” and have put together a data record of 231 employees, as the documents show.

They checked personnel files and searched for discipline and withdrawal letters. They analyzed the salary changes and the selection of officers to “special” positions, as the documents show.

Metra paid for the work of partners in the law firm, in the Associates, in the Paralegals and in other employees and lawyers, including some that were identified as “outsourced”. They were charged for software licenses and other supplies.

The examination was stimulated by anonymous symptoms, including far -reaching accusations, including sexual relationships in the workplace, harassment of civil servants of female civil servants, racism, special treatment of some civil servants and inconsistency in the police guidelines, as can be seen from a copies received by the tribune.

Such complaints could be carried out for an investigation by the office of general inspector, the state inspector, which is responsible for Metra, instead of hiring an external company, said Connie Mixon, professor and director of the Urban Studies Program at Elmhurst University.

General inspectors can be overloaded, she admitted, but the results should be published, regardless of who conducts the examination. Otherwise, she undermines transparency, accountability and public trust, she said.

“At least it leads to this question, is an attempt to hide the disclosure or to prevent the public from finding out the results of internal studies?” she said.

Jim Derwinski, CEO von Metra, refused to discuss the result of the investigation more in more detail, and described it as a “privileged work product”.

The spokesman for Metra, Michael Gillis, said in an email that McGuirewoods should “ensure impartiality and objectivity, since they have no existing relationships or prejudices within Metra or its employees.”

Metra had a previous relationship with the company's low -advice and previously recorded the lobby deal for companies. Gillis said that McGuirewood's attitude was independent of other work carried out by the company, since the investigation was a legal matter.

“These lawyers are experts of topics and have specialized skills, which can lead to a more credible and fairer result, especially if you deal with sensitive problems,” he said. “It was found that the employees with external people would probably be more imminent.”

Metra did not believe that it made sense to refer problems with regard to the police to the general inspector's office, since a complaint from 2022 had been returned to Metra for this office due to inappropriate behaviors, preference and other problems in the police authority in order to research Gillis said, Gillis said, Gillis said, Gillis said, said Gillis. .

When the McGuirewoods examined in September 2023 shortly before her conclusion, the then police chief of Metra, Joseph Perez informed.

“I understand the potential difficulties that this abbreviated timeline could have,” he wrote in a letter to the CEO, the copy of which was received by a request from the public records. “I will do anything to offer the support that you consider suitable to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.”

Perez, which was reached by phone, said that his retirement had nothing to do with the examination. His father was rather sick and ultimately died months after leaving Metra, he said. He realized that a few months earlier would not change his pension, and he never intended to work for Metra for more than 10 years, he said.

Perez was discontinued in 2014 when Metra appealed to the effects of a blasty investigation report in which the agency had operated an “antiquated” police department with excessive overtime, irrational personnel plans and the department had not subjected any qualification training for firearms for more than two years. The report ended months before Metra officers publicly published him, concerns about training, fighting terrorism and commitment to the security of passengers and questions about the effectiveness of the Metra police at this point.

Perez said, due to the circumstances under which he was hired, he was never popular with many officers in the department, and there were several inquiries in the department during his term.

“My understanding of each of these examinations – at least the results were achieved – I was completely relieved of misconduct in all investigations,” he said.

He went before he received the results of the McGuirewoods examination and did not know the result, he said. He had been interviewed as part of the work of the lawyers.

“We did a lot to turn this place around, and I thought the police authority was well on the way to being recognized professionally and in the area,” he said.

When Perez left and the lawyers ended the billing for the internal investigation, Metra informed the general inspector of the general inspector that the agency hired another external agency for work in the police department. Metra received a proposal from Kristen Ziman Consulting, a company of the former police chief Aurora, in October 2023.

This time the consultant was commissioned to help the next police chief search and should also evaluate the “organizational culture and performance management” of the police department.