Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, who ran a campaign on comprehensive criminal justice reform, is now facing the task of choosing the next Chicago police superintendent to shape the city's response to rising crime rates and low morale among officers.
Johnson, who will be inaugurated as mayor on May 15, has a little over three months to choose a candidate from a pool of three selected by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, a civilian panel. The mayor-elect selected Fred Waller, a 34-year veteran chief of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), to serve as interim superintendent while the search continues.
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Here is a look at Waller's record, potential superintendent candidates, and a timeline for the selection.
Who is interim police Supt. Fred Waller?
Fred Waller, 61, left the Chicago Police Department in July 2020 in the heat of the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd.
Waller will be the city's third police chief in less than six months. He will replace outgoing interim Supt. Eric Carter, who plans to step down on May 15 following Johnson's inauguration. Carter was chief for a few months after replacing Supt. David Brown. Johnson said during his campaign that he would fire Brown, who instead quit after Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her reelection bid in February.
Johnson said during a news conference on May 3 that Waller's appointment represents a new chapter in Chicago's public safety. Waller began as a patrol officer and made his way through the ranks before ending as chief of operations and third in command.
"He has the experience and integrity to lead the Chicago Police Department during this pivotal time," Johnson said. He added that Waller is “caring, collaborative, and competent.”
Waller said he does not want to remain in the position permanently, and Johnson confirmed Waller will not be a candidate.
"We must rebuild trust and we must rebuild morale in the department," he said of his plans for the position. "We can and we will do both."
The appointment earned praise from several pro-police aldermen and supporters of former mayoral candidate Paul Vallas, who presented a more traditional tough-on-crime approach to Chicago's public safety. However, Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, whose organization backed Vallas, is against Waller's temporary position, according to ABC 7 News.
Waller's tenure as chief of operations was marred by a 28-day suspension that resulted from comments he made relating to a move of officer resources to sexual assault cases at a Nov. 19, 2022 meeting, per the Chicago Sun-Times.
"Grope me, don't rape me," Waller said when told officers would be moved out of police districts into other units. He said at the news conference last week that the remark was "taken out of context."
He also supported the promotion of Officer Alvin Jones to sergeant in 2022. Jones later resigned after reports surfaced regarding allegations of extortion and his connection to an infamous crew of corrupt Chicago cops involving disgraced Sgt. Ronald Watts. The crew extorted money from drug dealers and falsely arrested and charged people who would not cooperate.
Over 212 convictions tied to Watts have been overturned, according to Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx.
Still, Johnson said he had "extensive" conversations with Waller about his time on the force and determined he was the right person to lead the force for the time being.
Who are the possible candidates to become the permanent Chicago police superintendent?
Anthony Driver, president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, said that 53 people have applied to be Chicago Police Department's next superintendent. Of the 53, 32 applicants have been affiliated with CPD at one time or another, and six have prior experience as police chiefs of a "major city."
Driver said at a news conference on Wednesday that the search “represents a transformative opportunity to shape the future of law enforcement in our city.”
While Driver did not name specific candidates that have turned the commission's head, speculation has surrounded a few current and former police department officers, as well as some outside applicants.
Most notably, eyes are turning to recently retired Chief Ernest Cato, who served as chief of counterterrorism until he abruptly resigned in Sept. 2022, effective in October of that year. Cato made headlines as a finalist for police superintendent in 2020, but he eventually lost to Brown.
Another potential candidate to watch for is Leo Schmitz, chief of public safety of the Cook County Sheriff's Office since 2019. Schmitz also served as the director of the Illinois State Police from 2015 to 2019 and previously worked at CPD for over 28 years, serving as deputy chief, commander of gang enforcement, and commander of gang investigations during his tenure.
Other candidates include Larry Snelling, CPD chief of counterterrorism, and Angel Novalez, CPD chief of constitutional policing and reform. The latter of the two could appeal to someone like Johnson.
Driver said the commission is looking for a candidate who "understands the complexities of policing a diverse city like ours,” but who also embodies “our shared values of equity, justice, and community-centered policing,” he said.
The commission began its search in March following Brown's resignation. It marked the first search for a police superintendent since the commission was created in 2021.
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What is the timeline for finding a police superintendent?
Time is ticking for the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability to narrow down its pool of 53 candidates to three.
Driver said the commission held public forums in April to hear from community members, who said they want the next superintendent to be someone who "puts the community first" and will view sweeping state and federal police reforms as “a floor, not a ceiling.” The commission plans to hold three more community forums over the month of May.
To appeal to the commission and ultimately, Johnson, candidates will need to show that they are serious about tackling crime rates but in a comprehensive, community-based way. Johnson ran his mayoral campaign by focusing on affordable housing and mental health as ways to combat crime. He also focused on improving homelessness and education among Chicago's youth population.
Three candidates need to be selected and presented to Johnson by July 14. From there, the mayor will have 30 days to appoint one or ask for another group of candidates to review. Once he chooses a candidate, that person will need to be approved by Chicago City Council.
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Driver said the undertaking is a "very tough" job — likening the search to looking for a needle in a haystack.
"Someone who is reform-minded, someone who is ready to take on the challenges," Driver said. "I don't think there will be a shortage of people who will view this as a good landing space."