The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) will launch a nationwide search for the next Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, following today’s announcement that Superintendent David Brown will resign effective March 16 th . The CCPSA is committed to conducting a thorough and transparent process to identify the best candidate to lead the Chicago Police Department and ensure the safety and well-being of all residents of this city.
By ordinance, when a vacancy occurs in the office of the Superintendent, the Community Commission is charged with conducting a nationwide search, recruiting candidates, reviewing applications, performing background checks, conducting interviews, and selecting three finalists to present to the Mayor. 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.
“Selecting a new superintendent is one of the most significant powers that the Commission has and it’s something that we take very seriously,” said Community Commission President, Anthony Driver. “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.”
To facilitate this process, the CCPSA will hold at least four public hearings across the city, at which members of 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 Commission will also engage deeply to seek input from Chicago police officers and local and national experts on policing and public safety.
“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,” said President Driver. “We look forward to working with all stakeholders across the city to select the next leader of the department.”
“The Commission has a vested interest in ensuring that this is the most inclusive and transparent Superintendent selection process in the city’s history. We look forward to partnering with all stakeholders to help select the best candidate to move Chicago forward,” said Community Commissioner Remel Terry.
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability is committed to providing updates on the search process and ensuring that the public is informed and engaged throughout the process. Updates on the search process will be posted to the CCPSA website and given at the Commission’s monthly public meetings on the last Thursday of each month.
