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Rahm Reappoints Lightfoot As Police Board President 2 Days After Term Ends

 Police Board President Lori Lightfoot's term expired Monday.  She was reappointed Thursday, pending City Council approval.
Police Board President Lori Lightfoot's term expired Monday. She was reappointed Thursday, pending City Council approval.
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DNAinfo/Heather Cherone; file photo

CITY HALL — Mayor Rahm Emanuel will give Chicago Police Board​ President Lori Lightfoot another term as board president as efforts continue to reform the Police Department in the wake of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, a spokesman for the mayor said Thursday morning.

On Monday, Emanuel declined to say whether he would reappoint Lightfoot, who has been critical of the mayor's efforts to reform the Police Department.

The two met Wednesday for about 45 minutes, Lightfoot told WTTW-Channel 11's "Chicago Tonight."

Before offering Lightfoot another term, Emanuel and the former federal prosecutor discussed her goals for the next two years for the Police Board, said Adam Collins, Emanuel's spokesman.

The mayor asked for and received Lightfoot's assurance that she will implement the recommendations for changes to the Police Board made by federal investigators, Collins said. That investigation found that as gun violence "overwhelmed" Chicago, its police force routinely violated the civil rights of residents by using excessive force caused by poor training and nonexistent supervision.

READ THE FULL DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REPORT HERE

Finally, Lightfoot agreed that the Police Board would publish an annual report. The board did not release a report in 2015, the first year Lightfoot led the discipline board, Collins said.

Lightfoot disputed Collins' account of her meeting with the mayor, but declined to discuss in detail her discussion with the mayor.

"Your facts are not correct, but enough ink has been spilled on this story," Lightfoot said. "Time to move on to more pressing issues."

Lightfoot previously has been critical of Emanuel's decision to ask the U.S. Justice Department to appoint an independent monitor — and not a federal judge — to be in charge of the effort to reform the Police Department.

"The Department of Justice has told us privately what they have suggested publicly — that they are not willing to enter into a consent decree in Chicago," Collins said.

Emanuel has said a monitor will provide the city with an "independent set of eyes" and "achieve the same goals" as a consent decree would.

Lightfoot, who also helped lead Emanuel's Police Accountability Task Force, has described Emanuel's approach to police reform as rooted in "fantasy."

If confirmed by the City Council, Lightfoot's term as president and a member of the Police Board would end in 2019.

The Police Board decides cases when the superintendent of police moves to fire an officer or suspend an officer for more than 30 days. In addition, officers can ask the board to review any suspensions of more than six days and resolve matters in which the Independent Police Review Authority and police brass disagree on the level of discipline for an officer.