Chicago’s community-led public safety commission sent its three top picks for police superintendent late Thursday to Mayor Brandon Johnson, who must now decide who will lead the long-troubled department as it works through high crime, endemic street violence, low morale and court-ordered reforms.
The three finalists selected by the commission are Chicago Police Department Chief Larry Snelling, CPD Chief Angel Novalez and Shon Barnes, the chief of police in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Johnson’s permanent superintendent will succeed former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s hand-picked top cop, David Brown, who came to Chicago from Dallas and oversaw a period of high crime while being criticized as out of his league. Who leads the Police Department, and whether they’re successful, will have major implications for the city, which is still reeling from 2020′s civil unrest and subsequent crime spikes, even as shooting and homicide totals have fallen from highs not seen in two decades.