The race to permanently replace former Chicago Police Department Superintendent Garry McCarthy is reaching a fever pitch, with three finalists confirmed: Anne Kirkpatrick, the former police chief in Spokane, Washington; Eugene Williams, a former 15th District Police commander and current deputy police superintendent who heads the department’s bureau of support services; and Cedric Alexander, a Dekalb County, Georgia public safety director, who the Chicago Sun-Times reports is considered to be the frontrunner.
The list, however, has provoked some outrage among residents who have taken umbrage at the fact that it’s dominated by two outsiders. Two press conferences were held on March 21 — one at City Hall calling for the mayor to reject the three finalists recommended by the Police Board and select Joseph Shaw, a 23-year veteran on the force; and another at the 15th District Police station facilitated by Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) and other elected officials and community leaders, who are calling for the appointment of Williams.
