Why did Metra pay a team of outside lawyers $1.57 million to investigate its Police Department?
The firm McGuireWoods was hired in 2023 to dive into anonymous allegations of troubling behavior and spent more than seven months on the project. The results have not been released, but the Tribune’s new reporting and analysis of 130 pages of attorneys’ bills and other documents provides more context about conduct within the department. The suburban Daily Herald was the first to report on this story in December.
The nature of the allegations paint an unsavory picture. Complaints lodged include workplace sexual relationships, harassment of female officers, racism, special treatment of some officers and inconsistency in police policies, according to documents obtained by the Tribune. Of course, we can’t know if any of these things truly happened because Metra isn’t sharing the details.
We’re also troubled by the breadth of the alleged corruption. If these claims are legitimate, the agency has a serious culture problem that needs to be addressed.
And while some might consider $1.57 million legal fees a relatively small sum, especially when considering Metra’s 2025 budget was $1.1 billion, we say every dollar matters, and this legal tab is just another costly expense to cover as the state’s transit agencies face the proverbial fiscal cliff.
Remember, Metra officials have also warned the public to brace for fare hikes and service cuts in 2027 if nothing is done to address its financial crisis. With that in mind, why did Metra employ outside legal counsel in the first place when the logical first step would be to ask the state’s Office of the Executive Inspector General? Metra officials swatted down this suggestion, noting that a separate 2022 request to that office was referred back to Metra. In our opinion, that excuse doesn’t pass muster.
This isn’t the first time Metra’s Police Department (a department that some readers may not know exists) has faced scrutiny. In 2014, another investigation raised concerns about department training, excessive overtime and overall effectiveness. Metra released that report publicly months after its completion.
If the complaints that prompted this most recent investigation prove to be unfounded, the department has nothing to hide. If the complaints are legitimate, however, Metra’s Police Department has a lot of explaining to do, especially to the taxpayers footing the bill.
Metra, don’t take Illinoisans for a ride on this one. Release the results of the McGuireWoods investigation. And, if the report reveals any truth to these anonymous complaints, come up with a plan to address these internal problems as soon as possible.
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