Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is beginning the process of finding a new Police Superintendent after the announcement of the resignation of current Police Superintendent David Brown. Brown, who was appointed in April of 2020, has held the position for just over a year.
The news of Brown’s resignation came the day after Lightfoot lost her bid for re-election in the officially nonpartisan election. None of the nine candidates won a majority of the votes, with Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson coming out as the top two vote-getters. Both have said they would replace Brown if elected.
Lightfoot praised Brown for setting a record number of illegal gun recoveries for two years and leading a double-digit reduction in violent crime in 2022. She has called on the city’s newly formed civilian police oversight body—the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability—to immediately begin the search for a new superintendent.
In a statement, Brown said he accepted a job as Chief Operating Officer of Loncar Lyon Jenkins, a personal injury law firm with seven offices in Texas. He said he’s stepping down “so the incoming mayor can begin the process as soon as possible to hire the next Superintendent.”
First Deputy Eric Carter will be appointed as interim superintendent until the new mayor is sworn into office. Lightfoot has said she will be looking for a new superintendent who is “collaborative, competent and compassionate, and who truly cares about protecting and serving the people of our city.”
Johnson said in a statement that he will look for someone who is “as fully committed to the health and safety of all Chicagoans as I am, and to immediately meeting all requirements of the federal consent decree while addressing the root causes of crime.”
The Chicago Police Department has about 12,000 sworn officers and has long been plagued by scandals. A Justice Department report released in 2017 found the CPD was beset by widespread racial bias, excessive use of force, poor training, and feckless oversight of officers accused of misconduct. The department and city since 2019 have been under a federal consent decree, a court-approved settlement that requires the department to reform training, policies, and practices in a number of areas.
The search for a new police superintendent is a critical part of ensuring a safe and secure Chicago. It is essential that the new superintendent be someone who will uphold the highest standards of law enforcement and be committed to protecting the people of the city. Lightfoot and the city’s newly formed oversight body have a responsibility to ensure that the person ultimately chosen for the job is the right one for the job.
