The firestorm of criticism appears to have hardened many officers' "us-against-them" attitudes.

But critics say Chicago police have, to some extent, brought this crisis upon themselves, by too often violating citizens' constitutional rights, protecting even bad cops from punishment and lying to cover up wrongdoing. Improving how cops interact with the community, including questioning whether their stopping of citizens is justified, is needed to help improve those fractured relationships and possibly reduce crime, critics said.

"If we have even the slightest chance of being effective and solving violent crime, getting cooperation and help and partnership from people in the community, there's got to be trust," said Craig Futterman, a University of Chicago law professor and expert who has long studied police misconduct. "Police accountability and public scrutiny is exactly what good cops need to earn (that) trust … and become the effective officers that they ought to be."

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