Town Hall To Pick Next CPD Top Cop Set For Wednesday At St. Sabina

CHICAGO — The search is on for the next Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, following the departure of Supt. David Brown. The next of four town halls will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at St. Sabina Church.

In the past, the police board was charged in conducting a nationwide search, recruiting candidates, reviewing and screening applicants before recommending three finalists to the mayor. By ordinance, the newly formed Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability will be leading the process to select the best candidate to lead the Chicago Police Department.

The mayor must select a superintendent from among the commission’s three finalists, or reject the finalists and get a new list of finalists from the commission. The mayor may only select a Superintendent from a list provided by the commission.

This time around, the CCPSA will putting community members front and center in the selection process, by hosting town halls around the city. The first of four town halls took place Tuesday in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood at the Kehrein Center for the Arts. West Side residents attending the meeting want to see the next superintendent “come from a community that he or she knows about, who has worked the community."

One name frequently mentioned at the Kehreiin Center was recently retired chief Ernest Cato III, who was among the finalists for the superintendent position that ultimately went to David Brown. Cato rose through the ranks of CPD ending his career as chief of the counterterrosim unit.

“Selecting a new superintendent is one of the most significant powers that the Commission has and it’s something that we take very seriously,” Community Commission President, Anthony Driver said in a news release. “At this critical time in the city’s history, the Chicago Police Department needs a visionary and effective Superintendent. Today we will begin the search for that leader.”

The CCPSA plans to hold four public hearings across the city, where the public can provide recommendations to inform the selection of superintendent candidates. At least one hearing will be held on the North Side, South Side, and West Side of Chicago, to ensure that residents from all areas of the city have a chance to participate.

The next meeting will take place on the South Side, 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at St. Sabina Church, 1210 W. 78th Place. The next meeting will be conducted virtually (registration required) April 25, and the final meeting May 4 at a North Side venue to be determined.

“The CCPSA was created to inject the community's voice into the public safety infrastructure of our city. This is a new undertaking that will be guided by that,” Driver said. “We look forward to working with all stakeholders across the city to select the next leader of the department.”

In addition, the commission is holding separate meetings with other stakeholders, including rank-and-file police and the sergeant's union.

The commission hopes to have three candidates to submit to the mayor by July 1. Mayor Brandon Johnson will have 30 days to select a new superintendent, or request a new slate of candidates.