COMMUNITY COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO LAUNCH NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR NEW CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT


COMMUNITY COMMISSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO LAUNCH NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR NEW CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT


CHICAGO, IL - The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) will launch a nationwide search for the next Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, following yesterday’s announcement that Superintendent Larry Snelling will retire effective July 15th.


In 2023, the CCPSA led the search that culminated in the appointment of Superintendent Snelling. Since then, the Commission has worked collaboratively with the Superintendent, including in setting annual goals for the Superintendent and the department that have advanced key initiatives like improving investigations, improving services for crime victims, developing and implementing a community policing model, strengthening alternative response systems, and developing a structure and framework for better collaboration between CPD members, the Commission, and Chicago’s elected District Councils. The Commission thanks Superintendent Snelling for his decades of service to the people of Chicago and for his partnership in advancing these important reforms. We wish him the very best in his retirement.


“Superintendent Snelling was the right person at the right time for our city,” said CCPSA President Remel Terry. “As the Commission begins the process to identify the next superintendent, we are fully committed to conducting a thorough and transparent process and to finding a visionary and effective leader to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents of this city.”


The CCPSA is required by ordinance to conduct a nationwide search, recruit candidates, review applications, perform background checks, conduct interviews, and, within 120 days of Superintendent Snelling’s departure, select three finalists to present to the Mayor. The Mayor must then 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.


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 ensure that people across the city have a strong voice in shaping our public safety systems, and the selection process will be guided by that goal,” said President Terry. “We look forward to working with stakeholders across the city and experts across the country to select the next leader of the department.”


The Commission will provide regular updates on the search process and ensure 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.

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