Chief Larry Snelling, the pick to be the next Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, was introduced by Mayor Brandon Johnson during a Monday press conference.
The appointee to be CPD’s top cop appears to be in lockstep with Mayor Johnson’s vision of public safety and police reform.
“The police department and our community members are not two separate institutions because they can’t be. We have to work together by listening and learning from each other,” said Chief Snelling in his opening remarks.
“I share the Mayor’s vision of public safety being supported by the full force of government to address root causes of violence, to keep our beautiful city safe.”
Chief Snelling, 54, was ultimately selected out of a pool of 54 applicants in a nationwide search conducted by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.
The Commission began that search in early April. By late July, the body recommended three finalists in Chief Snelling, CPD Chief of Constitutional Policing and Reform Angel Novalez and Madison, Wisconsin Chief of Police Shon Barnes for Mayor Johnson’s consideration.
He has over three decades of experience, starting as a patrol officer in his home community of Englewood. Chief Snelling was then promoted to sergeant and served in the 22nd District, contributing to the Physical Skills and Operations sections for recruit training at the Police Academy. He would return to the 7th District as watch operations lieutenant but later advanced to Area 2’s commander and deputy chief.
Currently, he serves as Chief of the Bureau of Counterterrorism.
‘A Proven Leader’
“Chief Larry Snelling is a proven leader who knows and holds dear the soul of Chicago, the values that encompass the greatest city in the world,” said Mayor Johnson. “He commands the highest respect of his brothers and sisters in the department. And I’m fully confident in his ability to unify and strengthen these critical public servants.”
“I’m confident that he can boost their morale and implement constitutionally-driven reforms that will ultimately create a safer Chicago.”
Anthony Driver, Jr., president of the Community Commission, shared his approval of Chief Snelling’s selection.
“We looked under every rock and dotted every ‘I’,” Driver said, “I say all that to say that the expansiveness of our process is why I’m confident that Chief Larry Snelling is the right person for the job.”
Chief Snelling outlined his priorities as Superintendent. Among them is officer wellness and training, a focus for the CPD, especially with the recent uptick in officer suicides in recent years, as detailed in a report by Illinois Answers Project.
“We need to make sure that we have the best trained and the most well officers and well taken care of officers when we put them out in the community,” Chief Snelling said.
“Because when these officers feel good about themselves, and they feel good about their department when they feel good about the job that they’re doing, they’ll feel good and great with the community,” he said.
Other areas he plans to prioritize are the victims of violent crime and community feedback.
“Our community members have to have a stake. We have to bring them to the table, he said.
Chief Snelling’s nomination isn’t official.
The Community Commission will hold a hearing in early September, where he will get to answer questions from the public. Then the City Council will host a committee hearing on Chief Snelling’s nomination before it goes to a full City Council vote.
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