Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday announced the appointment of an acting interim chief administrator for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

The Mayor's office said the new acting administrator, LaKenya White, is a Chicago native who has worked in various police accountability roles for 25 years. She has worked specifically for COPA since 2017, rising from major case specialist to serve most recently as director of investigations for intake, the Mayor's office said.

"LaKenya White's years of dedicated service to the City of Chicago, and specifically to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and police oversight make her an exceptional choice for acting interim Chief Administrator," the mayor said in a news release. "Her experience speaks for itself in her ability to respond decisively under pressure. White's institutional knowledge is critical to ensuring a smooth transition. With this appointment, we look forward to continuing COPA's important work to advance fair, timely and effective accountability within our police department."  

White began her police oversight career in 2000 as an intake aide in the Chicago Police Office of Professional Standards. In 2007, OPS was supplanted by the Independent Police Review Authority, or IPRA, and White worked for IPRA as an investigator and a shooting specialist — handling police shootings.

IPRA was replaced by COPA in 2017, and White has served in various roles in COPA ever since. She holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Chicago State University and a master's' in business administration from St. Xavier University wit h a focus on fraudulent investigations, the Mayor's office said.

The previous chief COPA administrator, Andrea Kersten, resigned last month.

Kersten was at the center of a conflict between COPA and the CCPSA, or Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, about the police shooting that killed Dexter Reed last year.

On March 21, 2024, Dexter Reed opened fire on five plainclothes Chicago Police officers after being pulled over in the 3800 block of West Ferdinand Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Officers then returned fire — shooting Reed's vehicle 96 times in 41 seconds, an investigation determined.

Six weeks after the incident, Kersten questioned the officers' story — that the initial pullover was the result of a seat belt violation. Reed's tinted windows gave her pause.

Despite the Chicago Department of Law eventually agreeing with Kersten's assessment questioning why the officers stopped Reed — leading to a recommended settlement for $1.25 million with Reed's family. But the agency that had the power to fire Kersten, the CCPSA, pointed to that moment as part of the reason they were going to let her go.

In the end, Kersten resigned before termination could occur.