Mayor Picks Ex-LAPD Chief Charlie Beck As Interim Superintendent

CHICAGO, IL — Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Friday she has appointed retired Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck to become police superintendent on an interim basis. The move came a day after Superintendent Eddie Johnson announced he will step down at the end of the year after serving as the city's top cop since April 2016.

Lightfoot said Beck's experience managing the LAPD through a reform process overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice and a federal judge makes him the perfect selection for Chicago's current needs.

"During his tenure, Chief Beck led the reform of the Los Angeles Police Department that was rooted in the principles of transparency and accountability, developing the well-earned national reputation with reformers and community leaders to combine the best aspects of traditional policing with community outreach initiatives," Lightfoot said.

Chicago's mayor praised Beck's work to improve relations between police and historically marginalized communities and noted he has, like Johnson,also refused to provide assistance federal immigration authorities.

"After only a few minutes with Chief Beck, you quickly understand both his deep care for the well-being of his fellow officers, as well as his interest in ensuring they are conducting just policing in the areas they serve," Lightfoot said.

Beck, 66, spent more than four decades years with LAPD, the last nine as chief before his retirement in June 2018. The son of a former Los Angeles police deputy chief and the father of two officers, Beck oversaw the department through reforms and scandals.

"Interim chief Beck is going to be able to walk into a very good department that has very good relationships with members of the community — work to be done to be sure," Lightfoot told reporters at a Nov. 8 news conference.

Beck said he was excited to work with Lightfoot and continue the legacy of Johnson, who he described as a close friend.

"The mayor has impressed me from Day One in our conversations with her intimate knowledge of policing in Chicago, her understanding of constitutional policing, her belief that this department can be the change, this department can be the glue that binds this city together and not the powder that tears it apart," Beck said.

Beck said he has had a close relationship with Johnson over the past several years, at one point loaning his own chief of staff to Chicago's top cop for over a year. He said he would continue to work with Johnson to "move the ball forward in this field of play," during his time as interim chief.

"As soon as Eddie became superintendent, I called him and I said, 'Whatever the LAPD has — because, unfortunately, we have walked down the road that you are approaching, in the past — and whatever the LAPD has, I will give to you," Beck said.

"Success came from that, and I think this city can be very proud of the success of Superintendent Johnson. I think that this city can expect more of the same as we continue forward," Beck said.

"Even though my stay here will be brief I look forward to working with the residents and people that work in Chicago, meeting them, learning about their needs and making this a better place," he said. "Because at my core I believe that policing is a key and fundamental piece to making a successful city and that a successful city is a safe city and these two things work hand in hand."

Johnson said he spoke with Beck regularly after taking over as superintendent. He said he would always be grateful the assistance of his chief of staff, who helped Chicago set up strategic decision support centers.

"Charlie and I would talk often about different things that were going on because, to be quite honest, LA had walked down the path that Chicago was walking down at that point," Johnson said. "So I am really happy to see him here because I know one thing: he's a man of integrity, he's a man who always tries to follow the side of right. So I think we're in good shape."

Related:
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson Retiring Amid Investigation
Top Cop Was Drinking Before Falling Asleep Behind Wheel: Mayor
CPD Top Cop Found Slumped In Car, Orders Investigation On Himself

Johnson's retirement announcement came amid an ongoing inspector general investigation into the handling of an Oct. 17 incident where the superintendent was found slumped over behind the wheel of a police SUV at a stop sign near his home. Johnson, 59, later admitted having a "couple of drinks" with dinner, and investigators are examining why he was allowed to drive home with no sobriety test.

Two sources who have seen officers' bodycam footage of the incident told Patch it does not match the version of events described by police headquarters. Johnson's decision to step down before his pension becomes fully vested in April with his salary as chief, he would no longer be compelled to cooperate with the investigation if he is no longer a city employee.

Related:
Please Pretend Retiring Chicago Top Cop Isn't Under Investigation: Op-Ed
Probe Of Chicago Top Cop Shouldn't End With His Early Retirement: Op-Ed
Trump Accidentally Got It Right, Chicago Top Cop Has Failed City: Op-Ed

Beck is expected to lead the department for several months while Lightfoot considers who to name as a permanent head of the department, a source told the Chicago Tribune.

The Chicago Police Board is expected to collect community feedback from different areas of the cities about what residents are looking for in the next superintendent. In 2016, the last time the job opened up, the board reviewed 39 applications before it announced its three top candidates, according to the Tribune.

In that case, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel decided to hire Johnson, then the department's chief of patrol, although he had not applied for the job and was not one of the finalists recommended by the Police Board.