Lori Lightfoot has been named to head the Chicago Police Board, which is responsible for disciplining members of the police department.
Lightfoot is openly gay, once ran CPD's Office of Professional Standards, and is a former federal prosecutor. On May 31, she told Chicago Sun-Times, "We've seen with what's happening around the country that the public demands and expects that, when there are serious allegations of misconduct by police officers, that those charged with doing investigations and rendering final judgment will act in a fair and expeditious manner.
"I will be working hard to make sure the Police Board lives up to those standards. I obviously have a lot of information I need to understand about where they are and the challenges they face. That will be job one for me. … It's really important that the public understands what the role of the Police Board is and that it views the work the Police Board does as fair and transparent. Not everybody is going to agree with the outcomes. But the process has to be fair, accessible and understandable to the public and to the police force itself."
Lightfoot also was a trial lawyer for the Chicago firm Mayer Brown. She was also considered for the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
In 2013, Lightfoot spoke to Windy City Times and reflected on being a role model for young people.
"I'm happy that we live in a time where there are so many opportunities opening up for people like me," she said. "We can never forget the struggles, particularly as a woman of color, as a lesbian, I never forget that. I know there are going to be people out there who only see that, and only see it in a negative way. I'm heartened by the fact that we are living in a time in this country where we're seeing that people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, have more of an opportunity to live their lives without restriction, without being judged negatively, and that's inspiring."
