CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson will introduce his pick for Chicago’s new police superintendent at a press conference Monday morning at City Hall.
CPD Counterterrorism Bureau Chief Larry Snelling was chosen following a months-long nationwide search.
Chief Snelling is a native Chicagoan looking to take on the leadership role. He is a graduate of Englewood High School and started out as a CPD patrol officer in 1992. Snelling went on to serve in the same community he came from and was quickly promoted up the ranks.
“I believe he’s a straight shooter who is going to do right by the men and women of this department,” said Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara. “The happier and better run the Chicago Police Department is, the better and safer the streets of Chicago are going to be for everybody, in every single neighborhood.”
Snelling was named CPD’s Counterterrorism Bureau Chief just last year, while also spending more than half his career as an instructor at CPD’s training academy.
He was picked over two other finalists who were all presented to the mayor last month by a search committee.
“I think he’s going to take the police department in a whole brand new direction,” said Ald. Chris Taliaferro. “As superintendent, Chief Snelling will have an opportunity to not only build community trust but build a better department.”
While the challenges Snelling will face will be great, including the city’s ongoing violent crime problem, reaction from both political parties and community groups have been swift and positive so far.
“He’s human and he understands all of the things that we’re going through in these communities that are underprivileged and underserved,” said Darryl Smith, president of the Englewood Political Task Force. “We need someone that understands policing, understands community. And, when you put policing and community together, you can’t lose.”
The challenges faced by Chicago’s next superintendent are great, from getting a handle on the city’s violent crime problem to dealing with low morale within the department and trust issues from the communities of color it serves.
A statement issued by the ACLU of Illinois on Sunday said Snelling needs to among other things change the department’s “us vs. them” culture.
“The superintendent’s top priority should be rapid progress on much-needed consent decree reforms, ensuring constitutional policing and consent decree compliance in every office and district within CPD,” the statement said.
However, before Chief Snelling’s appointment can become official, a hearing must be scheduled and then a vote must be taken by Chicago’s City Council. That process may still take up to three weeks to begin.
Source : ABC 7