Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson has announced that Fred Waller will be the new interim superintendent for the Chicago Police Department.
Johnson announced Wednesday that the former officer will take over for the current superintendent, Eric Carter, when he leaves his position on May 15. This is the same day Johnson will be sworn in as mayor.
Waller, 61, was an officer for 34 years before his retirement in 2020. Before his retirement, he was the Chief of Patrol, which is the third-highest rank in the department. Sources note that he was well-liked in the department and respected among officers.
Waller on the Force
Shortly before he retired in 2020, he was suspended for 28 days after using the word “rape” during a police department meeting. Waller said the phrase, “Grope me, not rape me,” during a meeting discussing strategies for police deployment.
He later apologized for the remark. He also addressed the comments made in 2020, taking responsibility but saying he was “taken out of context.”
Head of the Force
The job of CPD Superintendent has been a toss-up this year. Lori Lightfoot’s superintendent, David Brown, left the position when she lost the primary mayoral election. The current superintendent, Eric Carter, stepped in to fill the role in March but will depart in May.
“To the residents of Chicago, law enforcement agencies, clergy, community leaders, and the many organizations who work each day beside CPD, thank you,” Carter said in a statement. “Your continued partnership strengthens public safety daily across our great city.”
The previous superintendents aren’t without controversy, though. Carter upset many officers after the shooting of Officer Ella French in August 2021, where during a ceremonial sendoff with bagpipes he said, “We don’t have 20 minutes for this s***.” Brown was heavily criticized for denying many officers’ requests for days off, effectively running the already understaffed department into heavier despair.
Waller will only hold the position until the Johnson administration can find someone who can permanently hold the position. This person, Johnsons said in a question-and-answer session, should be “someone that recognizes policing is not the end-all for public safety.”
CPD Community Commission
The group given the task of choosing three finalists for the permanent role is The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. The group has been holding forums and speaking to community members about what they want in a permanent superintendent. The commission was created in 2021 to give Chicagoans more of a voice in who is policing them.
Johnson Administration’s CPD
When Johnson is sworn in as mayor, he will inherit a city whose crime rate rose in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only this, but the permanent superintendent of the Chicago Police Department will be working with the Johnson administration on their goal of reducing instances of crime prior to police involvement.
Johnson was not backed by the largest police union in Chicago, the Fraternal Order of Police, which supported Paul Vallas. This means he stands at odds with much of the police force.
Johnson has said since the beginning of his campaign that he wants to lower crime without the use of police. In choosing Waller as interim superintendent, Johnson said that the soon-to-be superintendent “recognizes where transformation needs to take place and how policing can better reflect the values of the city of Chicago.”
Waller is said to be excited to return to the force from his short-lived retirement.
“If there’s one thing that could bring me out of retirement,” said Waller, “it was this opportunity to leave and return to the place that I’ve given so much of my life to.”
Written by Caroline Buehler
Sources:
Chicago Tribune: Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson names interim CPD superintendent. Discusses what he wants in a permanent police leader by Alice Yin and Sam Charles
Chicago Sun-Times: Acting Chicago Police Supt. Eric Carter announces retirement amid nationwide search for next top cop by Tom Schuba and Fran Spielman
ABC 7: Interim Chicago Police Supt. Eric Carter to retire after 30 years with department by Liz Nagy
Chicago Tribune: Fred Waller, a former chief in CPD, expected to be named interim superintendent this week by Sam Charles
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Dorsey Photography’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Caroline Buehler
