Head of the Chicago Police Department | |
---|---|
Incumbent Larry Snelling since September 28, 2023 | |
Inaugural holder | Orsemus Morrison (as "High Constable") |
Formation | 1835 (as "High Constable") |
The following is a list of heads of the Chicago Police Department.
Currently the executive of the Chicago Police Department is referred to as a "Superintendent of Police". Preceding titles included High Constable, City Marshall, General Superintendent of Police, and Commissioner of Police.
History
The original head of police position, existent from 1835 through 1842, was referred to as "High Constable". The position was an elected one.[1][2]
The second title used for the head of police was "City Marshall", which was used from 1842 through 1861.[1][2] The position was an elected one.[1] For a single year during (1855-56) this time, Chicago briefly had an appointed Chief of Police position that co-headed the department alongside the City Marshall.[1]
The title used for the head of police from 1861 to 1927 was "General Superintendent of Police". The position was an appointed one.[1] After the Board of Police Commissioners was legislated out of existence in 1875, the office of City Marshall was brought back to jointly serve as the head of the Chicago Police Department alongside the General Superintendent of Police.[1] This time, the office was an appointed one.[1] By vote of the City Council on May 31, 1876 the office of City Marshall was to be abolished.[1] The office was consequentially eliminated June 5, 1876, with the position of General Superintendent of Police reinstated as the sole head of police.[1] From this point on, the city has had only a singular head of police at a time.[1]
From 1927 through 1960, the head of police was titled the Commissioner of Police.[1][2]
In 1960, the head of police assumed its current title, Superintendent of Police.[1][2]
Samuel Nolan was the first African-American individual to serve as head of the police department in an interim capacity, doing so from late–1979 until January 1980. Fred Rice Jr., who served as superintendent from 1983 through 1987, was the African-American individual to serve on a permanent basis.[3][4]
Recent
On November 8, 2019, Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed retired Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck as the city's interim superintendent.[5] Mayor Rahm Emanuel had appointed former Bureau of Patrol Chief Eddie T. Johnson as Superintendent on March 28, 2016; on December 2, 2019, Mayor Lightfoot terminated Johnson's superintendent contract for cause.[6] He was preceded by Garry F. McCarthy, former director of the Newark, New Jersey, Police Department, as superintendent; this was approved by the city council on June 8, 2011.[7] McCarthy was the highest paid city employee with an annual salary of $260,004.[8] McCarthy was fired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel on December 1, 2015, after refusing Emanuel's request that he resign over the city's high murder rate and his department's handling of the murder of Laquan McDonald.
Prior to McCarthy's appointment, Jody P. Weis had served as superintendent of police since February 2008. At the time, Weis was the second Chicago police superintendent hired from outside of the city. He replaced Philip J. Cline, who officially retired on August 3, 2007. Weis' contract expired on March 1, 2011. Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed Cline's predecessor, Terry Hillard, on an interim basis.
List of heads of the Chicago Police Department
Order | Name | Tenure start | Tenure end | Title | Mayor(s) served under | Born | Died | Notes | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Orsemus Morrison | August 1835 | May 2, 1837 | High Constable | N/AA | June 24, 1807 | January 4, 1864 | Served 1 term. | [1][9] | |
2nd | John Shrigley | May 2, 1837 | March 4, 1839 | William B. Ogden, Buckner Stith Morris | November 22, 1802 | August 15, 1853 | Served 1 term. | [1] | ||
3rd | Samuel James Lowe | March 5, 1839 | February 28, 1842 | Benjamin W. Raymond, Alexander Loyd, Francis C. Sherman | 1799 | 1851 | Served 1 term. | [1] | ||
4th | Orson Smith | March 1, 1842 | March 4, 1844 | City Marshall | Francis C. Sherman, Benjamin W. Raymond, Augustus Garrett | April 29, 1801 | January 29, 1863 | Served 1 term. | [1] | |
5th | Philip Dean | March 5, 1844 | March 6, 1848 | Augustus Garrett, Alson Sherman, Augustus Garrett, John Putnam Chapin, James Curtiss | June 24, 1804 | November 17, 1861 | Served 2 terms. | [1] | ||
6th | Ambrose Burnham | March 7, 1848 | March 1, 1852 | James Curtiss, James H. Woodworth, James Curtiss, Walter S. Gurnee | August 7, 1811 | October 21, 1870 | Served 2 terms. | [1] | ||
7th | James L. Howe | March 2, 1852 | March 6, 1854 | Walter S. Gurnee, Charles McNeill Gray | 1815 | 1863 | Served 1 term. | [1] | ||
8th | Darius Knights | March 7, 1854 | March 3, 1856 | Walter S. Gurnee, Isaac L. Milliken | 1814 | October 22, 1882 | Served 1 term. | [1] | ||
9th | Cyrus Parker Bradley | May 26, 1855 | 1856 | Chief of Police | Levi Boone | November 11, 1819 | March 6, 1865 | For a year, Chicago briefly had an appointed Chief of Police position that co-headed the department alongside the City Marshall. | [1][2] | |
10th | James M. Donnelly | March 4, 1856 | February 28, 1859 | City Marshall | Levi Boone, John Wentworth, John C. Haines | Served 3 terms. | [1] | |||
11th | Jacob Rehm | March 1, 1859 | March 5, 1860 | John C. Haines | December 7, 1828 | March 6, 1915 | Served 1 term. | [1] | ||
12th | Iver Lawson | March 6, 1860 | March 4, 1861 | John C. Haines, John Wentworth | Served 1 term. | [1] | ||||
13th | Cyrus Parker Bradley | April 6, 1861 | 1862 | General Superintendent of Police | John Wentworth, Julian S. Rumsey, Francis C. Sherman | November 11, 1819 | March 6, 1865 | Was acting General Superintendent from April 6, 1861, until being appointed permanent General Superintendent on April 23, 1861. | [1] | |
14th | Jacob Rehm | February 20, 1863 | July 3, 1863 | Francis C. Sherman | December 7, 1828 | March 6, 1915 | Initially appointed as interim General Superintendent, subsequently made permanent. | [1] | ||
— | Cyrus Parker Bradley (interim) | July 1863 | April 1864 | Francis C. Sherman | November 11, 1819 | March 6, 1865 | [1] | |||
15th | William Turtle | April 23, 1864 | November 29, 1865 | Francis C. Sherman, John B. Rice | November 27, 1820 | February 14, 1887 | [1] | |||
16th | Jacob Rehm | November 1865 | 1871 | John B. Rice, Roswell B. Mason | December 7, 1828 | March 6, 1915 | Was interim superintendent from November 1865 until being officially appointed as permanent superintendent on January 13, 1866. | [1][10] | ||
17th | William Wallace Kennedy | April 1871 | July 29, 1872 | Roswell B. Mason, Joseph Medill | May 1830 | September 20, 1900 | [1][11] | |||
18th | Elmer Washburn | July 29, 1872 | December 29, 1873 | Joseph Medill, Lester L. Bond, Harvey D. Colvin | December 25, 1834 | November 23, 1918 | Was interim General Superintendent from July 29, 1872, until being appointed permanent General Superintendent on August 12, 1872. | [1][11] | ||
19th | Jacob Rehm | December 22, 1873 | October 4, 1875 | Harvey D. Colvin | December 7, 1828 | March 6, 1915 | [1][10] | |||
20th | George L. Dunlap | July 30, 1875 | November 22, 1875 | City Marshall | Harvey D. Colvin | City Marshall, at this time, existed as co-head alongside General Superintendent of Police. | [1] | |||
21st | Michael C. Hickey | October 7, 1875 | August 1, 1878 | General Superintendent of Police | Harvey D. Colvin, Monroe Heath | 1830 | August 31, 1900 | [1][11] | ||
22nd | Roswell Eaton Goodell | November 22, 1875 | June 5, 1876 | City Marshall | Harvey D. Colvin | October 21, 1825 | October 19, 1903 | City Marshall, at this time, existed as co-head alongside General Superintendent of Police. | [1] | |
23rd | Valerius A. Seavey | August 1, 1878 | September 7, 1879 | General Superintendent of Police | Monroe Heath, Carter Harrison Sr. | 1840 | September 7, 1879 | Was interim General Superintendent from August 1, 1878, until being officially appointed as permanent General Superintendent on July 30, 1878. | [1][11] | |
24th | Simon O'Donnell | December 15, 1879 | November 30, 1880 | Carter Harrison Sr. | 1834 | August 3, 1893 | [1] | |||
25th | William J. McGarigle | November 30, 1880 | November 1882 | Carter Harrison Sr. | September 12, 1850 | April 29, 1917 | Was acting General Superintendent from November 30, 1880, until being officially appointed as permanent General Superintendent on December 13, 1880. | [1] | ||
26th | Austin J. Doyle | November 13, 1882 | October 15, 1885 | Carter Harrison Sr. | September 18, 1849 | February 6, 1924 | [1][11] | |||
27th | Frederick Ebersold | October 15, 1885 | February 14, 1888 | Carter Harrison Sr., John A. Roche | March 30, 1841 | January 21, 1900 | Was interim General Superintendent from October 15, 1885, until being officially appointed as permanent General Superintendent on October 26, 1885. | [1][11] | ||
— | Frederick H. Marsh (interim) | February 14, 1888 | April 17, 1888 | John A. Roche | 1842 | May 3, 1929 | [1] | |||
28th | George W. Hubbard | April 17, 1888 | 1889 | John A. Roche, DeWitt C. Cregier | February 22, 1850 | ??? | [1][11] | |||
29th | Frederick H. Marsh | January 1, 1890 | 1891 | DeWitt C. Cregier, Hempstead Washburne | 1842 | May 3, 1929 | [1][11] | |||
30th | Robert Wilson McClaughry | May 18, 1891 | May 1893 | Hempstead Washburne, Carter Harrison Sr. | July 22, 1839 | November 9, 1920 | [1][11] | |||
31st | Michael Brennan | May 1893 | April 8, 1895 | Carter Harrison Sr., George B. Swift, John P. Hopkins | 1844 | April 9, 1920 | Was acting General Superintendent from May 1893 until being officially appointed permanent General Superintendent on September 11, 1893. | [1][11][12] | ||
— | Joseph Kipley (interim) | April 8, 1895 | April 11, 1895 | John P. Hopkins George B. Swift | January 6, 1848 | February 6, 1904 | [1][12] | |||
32nd | John J. Badenoch | April 11, 1895 | April 1897 | George B. Swift | April 5, 1851 | April 27, 1933 | [1][11] | |||
33rd | Joseph Kipley | April 16, 1897 | April 23, 1901 | George B. Swift, Carter Harrison Jr. | January 6, 1848 | February 6, 1904 | [1] | |||
— | John E. Ptacek (interim) | April 16, 1901 | April 30, 1901 | Carter Harrison Jr. | [1] | |||||
34th | Francis O'Neill | April 30, 1901 | July 24, 1905 | Carter Harrison Jr., Edward F. Dunne | August 28, 1848 | January 28, 1936 | [1][11] | |||
— | Herman F. Schuettler (interim) | July 24, 1905 | July 26, 1905 | Edward F. Dunne | July 14, 1861 | August 22, 1918 | [1] | |||
35th | John M. Collins | July 26, 1905 | April 15, 1907 | Edward F. Dunne | 1840 | 1916 | [1][11] | |||
36th | George M. Shippy | April 15, 1907 | August 3, 1909 | Fred A. Busse | June 24, 1854 | April 13, 1913 | [1][11] | |||
— | Herman F. Schuettler (interim) | August 3, 1909 | August 15, 1909 | Fred A. Busse | July 14, 1861 | August 22, 1918 | [1] | |||
37th | LeRoy T. Steward | August 15, 1909 | 1911 | Fred A. Busse | March 24, 1862 | April 26, 1944 | [1] | |||
— | Herman F. Schuettler (interim) | 1911 | April 4, 1911 | Fred A. Busse | July 14, 1861 | August 22, 1918 | [1] | |||
38th | John McWeeny | April 4, 1911 | October 23, 1913 | Fred A. Busse, Carter Harrison Jr. | March 15, 1857 | December 26, 1934 | [1] | |||
— | Herman F. Schuettler (interim) | October 24, 1913 | November 3, 1913 | Carter Harrison Jr. | July 14, 1861 | August 22, 1918 | [1] | |||
39th | James Gleason | November 3, 1913 | April 26, 1915 | Carter Harrison Jr. | January 13, 1861 | November 16, 1929 | [1][11] | |||
40th | Charles C. Healy | April 26, 1915 | January 11, 1917 | William H. Thompson | May 14, 1856 | 1959 | [1][11] | |||
41st | Herman F. Schuettler | January 11, 1917 | August 22, 1918 | William H. Thompson | July 14, 1861 | August 22, 1918 | [1][11] | |||
— | John H. Alcock (interim) | January 11, 1918 | November 25, 1918 | William H. Thompson | [1] | |||||
42nd | John J. Garrity | November 25, 1918 | November 10, 1920 | William H. Thompson | June 21, 1869 | August 10 1940 | [1] | |||
43rd | Charles C. Fitzmorris | November 10, 1920 | April 16, 1923 | William H. Thompson | May 1, 1884 | August 18, 1948 | [1] | |||
44th | Morgan A. Collins | April 16, 1923 | April 14, 1927 | William E. Dever | April 5, 1886 | March 21, 1946 | [1] | |||
45th | Michael Hughes | April 14, 1927 | July 25, 1928 | Commissioner of Police | William E. Dever, William H. Thompson | September 24, 1870 | June 21 1956 | Was acting General Superintendent from April 14, 1927, until being officially appointed permanent General Superintendent on April 16, 1923. | [1] | |
46th | William F. Russell | September 12, 1928 | June 16, 1930 | William H. Thompson | December 1, 1874 | April 1, 1946 | Initially acting Commissioner, elevated to permanent Commissioner. | [1] | ||
— | John H. Alcock (interim) | June 16, 1930 | October 1, 1931 | William H. Thompson, Anton Cermak | [1] | |||||
47th | James P. Allman | October 1, 1931 | January 1, 1946 | Anton Cermak, Frank J. Corr, Edward J. Kelly | October 16, 1875 | February 24, 1956 | [1] | |||
48th | John C. Prendergast | January 1, 1946 | November 16, 1950 | Edward J. Kelly, Martin H. Kennelly | October 19, 1884 | January 16, 1958 | [1] | |||
49th | Timothy J. O'Connor | November 14, 1950 | 1960B | Martin H. Kennelly, Richard J. Daley | January 27, 1902 | December 31, 1968 | [1] | |||
50th | O. W. Wilson | March 2, 1960 | July 1, 1967 | Superintendent of Police | Richard J. Daley | May 15, 1900 | October 18, 1972 | [1] | ||
51st | James Conlisk Jr. | July 1, 1967 | November 1, 1973 | Richard J. Daley | October 2, 1918 | September 29, 1984 | Initially interim Superintendent, elevated to permanent Superintendent. | [1] | ||
52nd | James M. Rochford | November 1, 1973 | October 11, 1977 | Richard J. Daley, Michael A. Bilandic | October 1, 1921 | April 14, 2004 | Was acting Superintendent, from November 1, 1973, until being officially appointed as permanent Superintendent on February 11, 1974. | [1] | ||
— | Michael Spiotto (interim) | October 11, 1977 | April 10, 1978 | Michael A. Bilandic | [1] | |||||
53rd | James E. O'Grady | April 10, 1978 | April 25, 1979 | Michael A. Bilandic, Jane Byrne | 1929 | — | [1] | |||
— | Joseph DiLeonardi (interim) | April 25, 1979 | September 1, 1979 | Jane Byrne | March 31, 1932 | January 28, 2017 | Relieved of command by Mayor Jane Byrne. | [1] | ||
— | Samuel Nolan (interim) | September 1, 1979 | January 11, 1980 | Jane Byrne | September 30, 1997 | [1][13] | ||||
54th | Richard J. Brzeczek | January 11, 1980 | April 29, 1983 | Jane Byrne | October 8, 1942 | — | Discharged by Mayor Jane Byrne. | [1] | ||
— | James E. O'Grady (interim) | April 29, 1983 | August 27, 1983 | Jane Byrne Harold Washington | 1929 | — | [1] | |||
55th | Fred Rice Jr. | August 27, 1983 | November 1, 1987 | Harold Washington | December 24, 1926 | January 10, 2011 | [1] | |||
56th | LeRoy Martin | November 18, 1987 | April 12, 1992 | Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, Richard M. Daley | 1929 | August 31, 2013 | [1] | |||
57th | Matt L. Rodriguez | April 13, 1992 | December 1, 1997 | Richard M. Daley | April 5, 1936 | — | [1] | |||
58th | Terry G. Hillard | February 18, 1998 | April 18, 2003 | Richard M. Daley | August 11, 1943 | — | [1] | |||
59th | Philip J. Cline | October 6, 2003 | April 2, 2007 | Richard M. Daley | October 10, 1949 | — | [1] | |||
60th | Jody Weis | February 1, 2008 | March 1, 2011 | Richard M. Daley | December 10, 1957 | — | [1] | |||
— | Terry G. Hillard (interim) | March 1, 2011 | May 11, 2011 | Richard M. Daley | August 11, 1943 | — | [1] | |||
61st | Garry McCarthy | May 11, 2011 | December 1, 2015 | Rahm Emanuel | May 4, 1959 | — | [1] | |||
— | John Escalante (interim) | December 1, 2015 | March 28, 2016 | Rahm Emanuel | — | Returned to command as First Deputy Superintendent of Police on March 28, 2016. | [1] | |||
62nd | Eddie T. Johnson | March 28, 2016 | December 2, 2019 | Rahm Emanuel, Lori Lightfoot | July 28, 1960 | — | Was interim Superintendent from March 28, 2016, until being officially appointed as permanent Superintendent on April 13, 2016; discharged by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. | [1] | ||
— | Charlie Beck (interim) | December 2, 2019 | April 15, 2020 | Lori Lightfoot | June 27, 1953 | — | [1][14][15] | |||
63rd | David Brown | April 15, 2020 | March 16, 2023 | Lori Lightfoot | September 18, 1960 | — | Was acting Superintendent from April 15, 2020, until being officially appointed as permanent Superintendent on April 22, 2020. Resigned post on March 16, 2023. | [1][15][16][17] | ||
— | Eric Carter (interim) | March 16, 2023 | May 15, 2023 | Lori Lightfoot | Interim superintendent; stepped down on May 15, 2022 | [18][19] | ||||
— | Fred Waller (interim) | May 15, 2023 | September 27, 2023 | Brandon Johnson | [20] | |||||
64th | Larry Snelling | September 27, 2023 | — | Brandon Johnson | [21] | |||||
Notes
^A Orsemus Morrison's tenure predates the incorporation of Chicago as a city. While no mayor was serving at the time he was High Constable, John H. Kinzie was Town President
^B The position of "General Superintendent of Police" ceased to be the head of the Chicago Police Department prior to the end of O'Connor's tenure, which was December 29, 1964
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 "HEADS OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT | ChicagoCop.com". ChicagoCop.com. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "History | Chicago Police Department". ChicagoPolice.org. Chicago Police Department. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ↑ "Many Superintendents Have Tried To Reform the Chicago Police (TIMELINE)". DNAinfo Chicago. December 8, 2015. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ↑ Lee, William; Schlikerman, Becky (January 11, 2011). "Fred Rice, 1926-2011". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
- ↑ Gorner, Jeremy; Pratt, Gregory; Sweeney, Annie (November 10, 2019). "Mayor Lori Lightfoot appoints retired LAPD Chief Charlie Beck as Chicago's interim top cop". ChicagoTribune.
- ↑ Kozlov, Dana (December 4, 2019). "Eddie Johnson Officially Retires, But His Firing Was Technically A Demotion, Attorney Says". CBS Television Stations.
- ↑ "City Council unanimously approves McCarthy for police superintendent". WGN-TV. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
- ↑ "Garry McCarthy". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
- ↑ "A History of the City of Chicago: Its Men and Institutions. Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens". Inter ocean. 1900. p. 440. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- 1 2 Flinn, John Joseph; Wilkie, John Elbert (1887). History of the Chicago Police: From the Settlement of the Community to the Present Time, Under Authority of the Mayor and Superintendent of the Force. Under the auspices of the Police book fund. p. 112, 553. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "The Chicago Daily News Almanac and Yearbook for 1917". Chicago Daily News Company. 1917. p. 718. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- 1 2 "Michael Brennan resignation from Police Dept". The Inter Ocean. April 8, 1895. p. 7. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
- ↑ Heise, Kenan (October 9, 1997). "SAM NOLAN, FIRST BLACK POLICE SUPERINTENDENT". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
- ↑ "Charles L. Beck: Commanding Officer, Detective Bureau". LAPD. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
- 1 2 Masterson, Matt (April 15, 2020). "Charlie Beck Steps Down as David Brown Becomes Chicago's New Top Cop". WTTW News. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ↑ Spielman, Fran (2020-04-22). "City Council unanimously approves David Brown as Chicago's $260,044-a-year police superintendent". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ↑ Gorner, Jeremy; Sheridan, Jake (2023-03-01). "Chicago police Superintendent David Brown to exit CPD this month in the wake of the mayoral election". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ↑ Koval, Andy (16 March 2023). "Eric Carter selected as CPD's interim superintendent". WGN-TV. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ↑ Bauer, Kelly (20 April 2023). "Chicago's Interim Top Cop Will Retire Same Day Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson Takes Office". Block Club Chicago.
- ↑ "Fred Waller sworn in as CPD interim superintendent - CBS Chicago". CBS News. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ↑ Spielman, Fran (27 September 2023). "City Council unanimously confirms Snelling as city's top cop. Now the hard part". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 29 September 2023.