Chicago will soon have a new police superintendent as Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday is scheduled to announce that he has chosen Chief Larry Snelling to fill the position.
Snelling, a 28-year member of CPD currently serves as the department's Counterterrorism Chief since 2022. He is expected to be formally introduced by Johnson at 11:30 a.m. Monday. The announcement will stream in the video player above once it begins.
“Chief Snelling is a proven leader who has the experience and the respect of his peers to help ensure the safety and well-being of city residents, and address the complex challenges we all face related to community safety," Johnson said in a statement, after a months-long search process led by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.
According to officials, Snelling previously served as Deputy Chief of Area 2, 7th District Commander, Sergeant of Training and Sergeant of Patrol. From 2001-2010, Snelling was an instructor for the department's training academy. Snelling was a lead trainer for field force training ahead of the 2012 Chicago NATO Summit.
“It is a tremendous honor to answer the call to serve my hometown and the people of Chicago as superintendent of the Chicago Police Department,” Snelling said in a statement. “It is also a tremendous responsibility, and one that I do not take lightly.”
“In order to continue to make progress as a department, we must embrace innovation, continue to strengthen morale, and go further in strengthening bonds of trust between police and community,” the statement continued. “While I am humbled by this moment, I stand ready to lead and uphold Mayor Johnson's 'three Cs' of competence, compassion and collaboration, and keep that vision at the forefront in addressing safety on every street, every block and in every neighborhood."
Snelling was raised on the city's South Side and attended its public schools. He has a bachelor’s degree in adult education from DePaul University and joined the department in 1992 as a patrol officer.
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What happens next
Before Snelling takes office, the process calls for him to be confirmed by City Council, and a public hearing will be scheduled to take place, officials said.
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Chicago's newly-formed Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability last month revealed their three finalists to be the next police superintendent, with two of the finalists coming from within the department.
Madison police chief Shon F. Barnes and Angel Novalez, Chief of Constitutional Policing and Reform, were the other two finalists.
Anthony Driver, president of community commission for public safety and accountability told NBC Chicago that Snelling his someone both his peers and many in the community look up to.
“We were looking for someone who could tackle a number of issues," explained Driver, who helped lead the 120 day search for new superintendent. "You know our city has faced a number of different issues and crises. Somebody who can build trust. I think he checked all those boxes.”
The Chicago Police Department is currently being led by interim Superintendent Fred Waller, who was appointed May 15. Waller spent 34 years at the department before joining a parade of top brass to leave during the turbulent tenure of now-departed Supt. David Brown.
While crime in Chicago often focuses on murders and shootings, the numbers so far in 2023 are down in both categories by 5% and 10%, respectively, according to the most recent department crime statistics. However, overall major crime rates are up 35% so far this year over 2022.
