Chicago's police union is fighting back against residents it thinks are filing false allegations against officers.The Fraternal Order of Police has recently sued motorists who accused officers of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.And two officers have won a judgment against a man who allegedly lied when he said they sodomized him with a police baton."We're not trying to destroy anyone," said Paul Geiger, an attorney for the FOP. "But we're looking at the real egregious situations where people cross the line to slander per se."Geiger said he knows of no other police unions using the same strategy to discourage frivolous complaints against cops.The union is being selective in deciding whom to sue, Geiger said. In those cases, the evidence is strong that the officers engaged in no wrongdoing, he said.The union is suing in small-claims court, where the potential payouts are low, Geiger added.One lawsuit involves a resident who accused an officer of being drunk. The officer was given a Breathalyzer test that showed no presence of alcohol, according to the FOP Web site.
In another lawsuit, officers were accused of being high on drugs. Drug tests on the officers came back negative, the Web site said.In 2002, two officers sued Frederick Mason Jr. for malicious prosecution following the city's $20,000 settlement of his lawsuit alleging he was tortured with a police baton.The accused officers each sued Mason for $5,000. A judgment was entered against Mason, who left the state, Geiger said.A spokeswoman for the city's Law Department has acknowledged that Mason's allegations were "completely untrue," but the case was settled for its "nuisance value."The FOP, meanwhile, is at odds with the city over a state law that went into effect Jan. 1. The law requires people who file complaints against officers to sign an affidavit, but the city says the law does not apply to officers who are part of a collective-bargaining agreement -- such as the FOP. The issue is now part of the union's contract negotiations with the city.The union probably would not have to file slander lawsuits against residents if they were required to give affidavits when they first filed their complaints, Geiger said."We don't want a system where citizens are worried about voicing their concerns about contact with the police because they fear they will get sued," countered Lori Lightfoot, the head of the Office of Professional Standards.OPS investigates Chicago police shootings of citizens, brutality complaints against officers and reports of domestic violence involving officers.Lightfoot said she understands the union is trying to protect members against false allegations, but she hopes such lawsuits don't become widespread.