ACLU of Illinois on what to expect from DOJ investigation

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Department of Justice announced last week that they are launching an investigation into the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office and the the Sangamon County Central Dispatch System.

The investigation will dive deep into the policies, training, and actions of these departments. 

The ACLU of Illinois says having a third party come and examine the county is a necessity to rebuild trust. 

"One of the things that a an investigation like this often reveals most critically is the lack of accountability and oversight for individual officers," said Ed Yohnka, the Director of Communications and Public Policy for the ACLU of Illinois. "When officers break rules, they're not often held accountable, so minor violations become major ones and then become the excessive use of force." 

Yohnka worked at the ACLU in 2017 when the Department of Justice investigated the Chicago Police Department. While the case is different than what is occurring in Sangamon County, the investigative process will likely be similar. He said the investigation determined there is a difference between what officers were being trained to do officially, and what they were being instructed to do while working on patrol. 

"In a situation like this, what you're going to really learn is how the culture of the agency impacts its practice on the streets on a day to day basis," said Yohnka. "That's something that many community members probably already understand, because they experience it every day." 

After the Chicago PD investigation, new rules were codified, requiring practices to change and more oversight to be provided. Yohnka said something similar could, and should, happen here in Sangamon County. He said according to research, communities are safer when they have a better relationship with their local enforcement. 

Yohnka did caution that the process of the investigation could change when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. He said in Trump's last term, the Department of Justice didn't investigate law enforcement agencies.