Process to select Chicago's top cop hits bumps
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Former Chicago police superintendent Larry Snelling. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
As a special commission vets candidates for Chicago's next police chief, timing and infighting are complicating the process and throwing its success into doubt.
Why it matters: Selecting the right person for police superintendent is a crucial undertaking that could help protect public safety gains achieved in recent years.
What's more: Those gains may already be slipping as the city reports new year-over-year homicide increases, especially on the South and West sides.
Catch up quick: Chicago police superintendent Larry Snelling stepped down on July 15.
- Municipal law requires the Community Commission on Public Safety and Accountability to present three top candidates to Mayor Brandon Johnson by Nov. 12 — 12o days after Snelling's departure.
State of play: Things are not going smoothly, with setbacks that include:
- The CCPSA failure to gather a quorum last month. This delayed the vote on a search firm, which finally took place last week.
- Infighting among CCPSA members. Some are trying to push Sandra Wortham, who also leads the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, to be rotated off a working group to vet candidates. CCPSA president Remel Terry suggested these members were acting like "activists."
- Differing priorities. Some commenters at recent meetings stressed the importance of a superintendent who would stand up to the mayor while others want one who'll stand up to federal immigration agents.
The biggest complication: Anyone chosen for the job would be taking the helm just months before a mayoral election, when the mayor who chose them might not even run again, leaving great uncertainty.
- "Who's going to travel to Chicago multiple times to interview for what will most certainly be a position that they'd be named to in November or December, then have a new mayor less than six months later?" Ald. Matt O'Shea asked Axios.
- For this reason, CCPSA member Anthony Driver suggested the City Council amend the law to delay selection until after the election.
- O'Shea says he agrees with the goal, but doesn't think he could gather enough council votes to make it happen.
The latest: Tuesday night, the CCPSA held its second community listening session at Kennedy High School on the Southwest Side.
- Most commenters urged the commission to promote a candidate from within the department and use Snelling as a model.
What's next: Two more live listening sessions are scheduled for 6:30pm Thursday at Morgan Park High School in Morgan Park and 6:30pm Tuesday at DePaul College Prep in Roscoe Village.