Chicago's Top Cop Larry Snelling, 57, Announces His Retirement

CHICAGO—Chicago’s top cop, Larry Snelling, announced his retirement Wednesday, effective July 15, after more than 30 years of service to the city and Chicago Police Department.

The announcement came after weeks of rumors that he was mulling retirement, telling reporters in May that “rumors are rumors.” Snelling, 57, called the decision to leave “difficult” in a statement “to my fellow Chicagoans.”

“Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to give back to the city I love through different assignments across the department,” said Snelling, who was tapped to lead CPD by the then-newly elected mayor in 2023. “I must also thank Mayor Brandon Johnson for choosing me to serve the residents of Chicago and to lead the heroic men and women of the Chicago Police Department.”

Snelling grew up on Chicago's South Side and graduated from Englewood High School. He continued his education at DePaul University. He joined the Chicago Police Department in 1992 as a patrol officer in Englewood, the neighborhood that shaped him. Over the course of his career, he served as a sergeant, led Physical Skills and Operations Training at the Chicago Police Academy, served as commander and deputy chief of Area 2, and ultimately rose to lead the department as superintendent.

“My T-shirt I wore as a new recruit is framed in my office and is a reminder of where I started,” Snelling said. “When I walked into the police academy at 22 years old, I wanted to protect those who needed help and make a difference in the lives around me. More than three decades later, I hope I did just that.”

Johnson selected Snelling for the top cop position from three finalists in August 2023. Community members also weighed in on the choice of police superintendent at various town halls and forums.

“He is a Chicagoan through and through, and his career reflects a lifelong commitment to serving the city he has always called home,” Johnson said in a statement.

During his three-year tenure, Snelling led the department through the 2024 Democratic National Convention and claimed a record-low reduction in shootings, homicides and violent crime, giving credit to the “hard and courageous work of the members of the Chicago Police Department.”

“Our members risk their lives 24 hours a day and 365 days a year to keep the people of our city safe, and it has been my honor to witness this lifesaving work every single day of my career,” he said. “We do not do this work alone. Thank you to our fellow Chicagoans, who also step up in our communities citywide to work alongside us as we strengthen safety in every neighborhood for our families and children.”

Snelling asked Chicagoans to extend the same warmth and support that they showed him to the next superintendent and officers. “This can be a thankless job at times, and a simple thank you or act of kindness can mean everything to the men and women who give so much for our city.”

“As I reflect on the past three years, I also reflect on the most difficult moments we have had as a department and city. Families in this city lost loved ones to violence, and too many officers were killed in the line of duty because of the same violence they worked to protect everyone from,” Snelling said. “No matter what, I will always work to ensure the sacrifices of our fallen heroes and the strength and resilience of our Gold Star Families are never forgotten.”