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Kids & Family

Former Heights Police Chief Takes Aggressive Stance on Abortion and Domestic Violence

Karla Fiaoni does not sugarcoat her views. Chicago Heights' former top cop recently visited a local church, delving into her positions on some of the most divisive topics in America.

Back in 1995, there was a new police chief in Chicago Heights. Karla Fiaoni was the first female police chief in Cook County, though the department knew her as Osantowski at the time.

Small in stature but sassy in demeanor, Fiaoni commanded the respect of her officers. 

During her term, Fiaoni reportedly learned the wife of a former Chicago Heights police officer was involved in a physically abusive relationship; the situation went undocumented. The story spurred Fiaoni to shed light on what she described as an ongoing issue of domestic violence in Chicago Heights.

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"If you research back when I served as chief in Chicago Heights, the reports of domestic violence spiked 100 percent," Fiaoni said. "I insisted to my officers that the reports be written."

The jump in domestic violence reports turned heads, and not in a good way. Fiaoni's new approach drew the attention of elected officials in the Heights, with some making outlandish accusations, according to Fiaoni.

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"There was an alderman at the time who accused me of bringing domestic violence to Chicago Heights," Fiaoni said. "He said it wasn't here before I got here. That is so comical.

"The violence in some homes is there, we need to report it. We can't close our eyes or put our head in the sand."

Pro-Choice?

Fiaoni recently spoke to a group at in Chicago Heights. One of her key topics was a hot-button issue, contentious even in today's political arena: abortion.

The former chief traced her stance on the divisive topic back to a time when she had political ambitions.

"In this state, if you want to be an elected official, you have to fill out a list of questions," Fiaoni said. "I'm going through the list of questions and I get to one that asks me to support a woman's right to choose. OK, I check that. Then I read 'to support a woman's right to choose to terminate the pregnancy at any age.'"

Upon seeing that question, Fiaoni said she ripped up the paper. "That was the end of my political career," she said. "God had other plans for me."

Since then, Fianoi said she has taken a hard-line position against abortion, giving controversial assessments about what it means to be pro-choice.

"Pro-Choice, we cannot sugarcoat this," Fiaoni said. "The people who are pro-choice will stand up and say they are in favor of women murdering their children. Just think a child's life ends with the help of a doctor in a cold room, for a price. They'll have to answer to God."

Connecting It All

Fiaoni marries her views on domestic violence to her views on abortion seamlessly. While the issue of abortion is much more divisive than that of domestic violence, Fiaoni says the two go hand-in-hand.

"You can't protect women from violence and then not want to protect the unborn," Fiaoni said. "The women who are not born yet, the ultimate violence is to be ripped from your mother's womb . . . The greatest domestic violence is the attacking of a baby girl in the womb."

Fiaoni said she has become involved with , which provides confidential pregnancy and parenting services in the Tinley Park area. Fiaoni said she hopes to see Chicago Heights residents join her. 

"I would love to see the church groups in Chicago Heights come together and form a solution to help these young women when they become pregnant," Fiaoni said. "Every church is going to have a young lady who gets pregnant and doesn't know what to do. It's our responsibility. It's not the government's job to take care of us."

Where Is She Now?

Fiaoni released a book called An Illustration of Grace and has also opened up a law office.

"I'm focused on criminal defense, working mainly in (Chicago) and Markham," Fiaoni said. "I'm trying to make sure the Constitution is followed and that people are given their rights, that the government, prosecutors and police are doing the right thing. A lot of times they don't. I've dedicated myself in protecting the Constitutional rights of people in the community."

The outspoken former chief does not bite her tongue when it comes to her ultimate goal and stance on abortion. 

"I'm going to continue to do what the Lord has told me to do," Fiaoni said. "I'm going to challenge myself and other Christians not to allow the slaughter of these babies. It's wrong. I'm going to be in the pro-life movement until we put an end to abortion in this country forever."

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