Fairley on WTTW's Chicago Tonight Discussing the Chicago Police Department Superintendent Search
Charlie Beck Takes Charge Following Eddie Johnson’s Ouster
The abrupt firing of Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson by Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday means former Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck is now at the helm of the Chicago Police Department.
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But beyond Beck’s expected short tenure at the top, what should the city be looking for in its next police chief?
“The key challenge that the department is facing right now is rebuilding trust, and so it’s got to be someone who the citizens of Chicago believe can come into the department and rebuild those relationships, rebuild that trust with the community,” said Sharon Fairley, who served as chief administrator of the Independent Police Review Authority – or IPRA – and was also charged with helping create and build COPA, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
“We know that Chicago’s problem with violent crime is challenging and so we also need a very good operational manager – an individual that has a lot of experience running a large department,” Fairley said. “And hopefully we can find someone with proven success at dealing with some of the really serious crime control problems that we see here in Chicago.”
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