INFORMATION/MEDIA RETRIEVAL SPECIALIST

BID/JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Information/Media Retrieval Specialist

Chicago Police Department

Number of Positions: 6 (Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $73,140

This position is open to the public and all current City employees covered under the City's collective bargaining agreement with AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME) - BARGAINING UNIT 1, 3, 4 & 5. Only employees in City job titles in this bargaining unit are eligible to bid.

BID INSTRUCTIONS: Apply on the bid site: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/103/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en AND

1. Check the box on your profile titled "Currently employed by the City of Chicago"

2. Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled 'payee/employee number')

3. Select your correct bargaining unit

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION

Applications for this position will be accepted from 4/21/2025 until 11:59pm CDT on 05/05/2025

Under general supervision, positions assigned to this class title primarily work in the Chicago Police Department and are responsible for responding to high volume information requests (e.g., Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), body-cam footage, digital, etc.) and provides responsive records; and performs related duties as required

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

* Reviews and responds to information requests (e.g., FOIA, media, body camera footage, general requests, etc.) received electronically and through manual forms

* Provides verbal and written responses to inquiries sent to the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) or the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC); from civilian, City, State legal partners, general public, business establishments, community organizations, media, non-profits, academics, new media, scientific or academic organizations, and government agencies regarding matters of public record

* Provides verbal and written responses to inquiries from the general public, business establishments, community organizations, media, non-profits, academics, new media, scientific or academic organizations, and governmental agencies regarding city programs, services, and matters of public record

* Prepares memos and letters, facilitating and coordinating the retrieval of records, reports, documents, body camera footage, etc. via GovQA, email, department forms, or any other medium for retrieval

* Completes requests according to the State of Illinois Freedom of Information Act guidelines and logs relevant information into GovQA

* Queries databases such as GovQA, Clearnet, Data Warehouse, and any additional databases from CPD, CFD, and OEMC to search for responsive records

* Communicates with Department members to obtain responsive records that are maintained by their respective bureaus, sections, or units

* Identifies and applies redactions based upon exemptions as outlined in the State of Illinois Freedom of Information Act

* Assesses whether the magnitude of information requested is burdensome in accordance with Freedom of Information guidelines

* Mails responses to written requests as required

* Signs affidavits and testifies in court on behalf of either CPD, CFD, or OEMC as required

* Produces written communication to the Fraternal Order of Police, PBPA Sergeants and Lieutenants Association regarding complaints against CPD as required

* Trains and orientates new hires to retrieve information, public documents, photocopied, and scanned records, as required

Additional duties may be required for this position

Location: Public Safety Headquarters

3510 S Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60653

Days: Monday - Friday

Hours: 8:30am - 4:30 pm

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Journalism, English, Public Policy, Political Science, Business Administration, Public Administration or a directly related field plus two (2) years of experience in the preparation and dissemination of public information; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

Certification by the State of Illinois as a Freedom of Information Officer is required, within six (6) months of hire

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral part of the interview will be selected.

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. The Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago in an Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer.

The City of Chicago is committed to providing fair chance hiring and welcomes applicants with past convictions, recognizing the value of a diverse workforce and the potential for growth and positive change.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor