Oak Park is seeking a consultant to produce a report about last November’s fatal shooting of Oak Park Police Det. Allan Reddins.
On Aug. 29, the village published a request for proposals looking for a qualified consultant to produce an “after-action report” about the tragic incident. The report would examine a variety of Oak Park Police Department policies, including police training, command response and post-incident practices, according to the village’s request for proposals.
Reddins was shot and killed by a suspect while responding to reports of an armed person in downtown Oak Park on Nov. 29.
A Chicago man, Jerrell Thomas, 37, is facing a life sentence for 56 felony counts, including first-degree murder, in connection with the fatal shooting. Thomas is next scheduled to appear in court Oct. 14, according to Cook County records.
Reddins was the first Oak Park police officer killed in the line of duty since 1938.
The consultant’s report would provide a detailed operational timeline of the incident, review “department policies and procedures relevant to the incident” and examine OPPD training standards, supervision and command response, internal communication and post-incident work, according to the village’s request for proposals.
Law enforcement experts consider after-action reports an important tool to help agencies move forward and learn from violent incidents, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
“The development of after-action reports is critical to the continuous growth and promotion of promising practices within the law enforcement field,” according to the IACP. “Response to targeted violence attacks require immediate action amid incredibly complex situations. Critical review of how the incident unfolded and the process by which the target was neutralized can uncover strengths, weaknesses, and challenges that both internal and external stakeholders can learn from. As active threats continue to grow more multifaceted, it is imperative that these reports are shared broadly among local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as both domestically and internationally. It is only through learning from each other that the field can continue to build upon effective strategies.”
Oak Park will be accepting proposals on the matter until Sept. 17.