With hopes of a reduction in violence and more efficient police department, Supt. Garry McCarthy on Friday replaced commanders in five of the city's 23 districts and promoted three supervisors to deputy chief.
"We got the best people. We're putting them in the seats where they're supposed to be, and we're going to get the results as a result of doing that," said McCarthy.
Promoted to commander were James Gibson in the Morgan Park district; Lynette Helm in Grand-Crossing; James O’Donnell in Jefferson Park; Maria Pena in Marquette; and Barbara West in Austin. All replaced commanders who'd also been promoted to other positions or retired.
Explains Fran Spielman in the Chicago Sun-Times:
Kathleen Boehmer, former commander in the Town Hall district, was promoted to deputy chief of detectives.
Keith Calloway, former commander of detectives in the Calumet Area, was named deputy chief of the organized crime bureau.
Boemer and Calloway’s previous positions were eliminated in a department consolidation last month. McCarthy merged the Town Hall and Belmont districts and reduced the number of detective areas from five to three.
McCarthy also announced that Eddie Johnson, former commander of the Gresham district, has been promoted to deputy chief of patrol for the newly created Central Area.
McCarthy's actions come after another violent evening in Chicago. Thirteen people were shot, including the nephew of Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, in a series of incidents in the city's south and west sides. Two people died.
Thursday's homicides were the 113th and 114th of 2012, a 35 percent increase from last year. But the superintendent maintains the city is making progress, pointing to the seizure of 400 guns this year than last.
Gangs, McCarthy said, are the problem, and one his officers and their supervisors must focus their attention.
"The point is getting inside these gang conflicts, being able to look [and see that] if this group is feuding with this group, now we have an incident [and] have to prevent the retaliation," he said.
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