Emanuel Appoints Charles Ramsey as Senior Advisor to Chicago Police Department
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel might be on the right track in terms of improving relationships between the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the community.
In the wake of public protests over recent fatal shootings involving CPD officers, and in the midst of demands from community activists and public officials asking him to resign, Emanuel on Sunday announced he appointed Charles H. Ramsey, a former police chief in Philadelphia and Washington D.C. as senior advisor to the CPD who will direct civil rights reforms for the embattled department.
Ramsey is originally from Chicago and worked for the CPD for 30 years before pursuing careers in other parts of the country. Those many years of experience were a deciding factor when Mayor Emanuel tapped the veteran cop.
“Commissioner Ramsey is not only a national leader in urban policing who has led two major police departments through civil rights reforms – he is also a native Chicagoan who knows our police department and our communities. With roots in Englewood, he has a unique understanding of the important role community relationships play in making our city safer,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. “Commissioner Ramsey has a proven track record, and his decades of experience will help as we face the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Ramsey’s history with the CPD dates back to 1968 when he started as a cadet. Over his 30 year tenure with the department, he worked his way up the ranks eventually serving as Chicago's Commander of the Narcotics Division, Deputy Chief of the Patrol Division and Deputy Superintendent from 1994 to 1998.
He released a statement after his appointment cautioning the public not to expect progress overnight but also said that continued efforts by city officials will eventually yield a path in the right direction for Chicago.
“Chicago is at a defining moment, and I believe that Mayor Emanuel and the Chicago Police Department are committed to meet the challenge,” said Commissioner Ramsey. “The situation in Chicago is not unlike many in cities across the country, but the people of Chicago should know that their leaders are working hard to restore trust where it has been lost. Progress won’t happen overnight, but a sustained and continued effort will put Chicago on a path forward.”
Ramsey’s appointment also received a nod from Dean Angelo, Sr., President of the Fraternal Order of Police Chicago.
In a conversation with the Chicago Citizen Newspaper on Tuesday, Angelo said, “I’ve known him [Ramsey] to be a leader in the Chicago Police Department and he’s been successful in the different hats he’s worn in the different agencies he’s been affiliated with since his departure from Chicago.”
“He’s highly respected throughout the law enforcement community so I don’t think it’s a bad move bringing him in,” Angelo continued. “I just wonder how many more people they are going to bring in to be involved. I don’t know how many people it takes, but those decisions are not mine or the Fraternal Order of Police’s. “
Ramsey served as Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia from 1998 to 2007, then as the Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department from 2007 until his retirement in 2015.
Commissioner Ramsey is the immediate past President of the Police Executive Research Forum and the Major Cities Chiefs Association. He also serves on the on the International Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Committee.
In January 2015, President Obama named Commissioner Ramsey the co-chair of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing as it worked to identify strategies to help strengthen police community relations across the country.
A native of Chicago, Ramsey holds Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in criminal justice from Lewis University. The commissioner has received honorary doctorate degrees from four universities, including his Alma Mater.
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