Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown officially resigns, First Under Secretary appointed interim boss

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown quietly resigned Thursday, three years after being elected police chief.

Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter, Brown’s deputy superintendent, will take over as interim superintendent, the agency said in a news release.

“We, under Superintendent Brown’s leadership, will continue to make progress to build trust in our communities and enhance security in all areas,” Carter said.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot came to Chicago in April 2020 after serving as police chief in Dallas, calling Brown a “humble leader” to reduce crime and increase transparency and accountability in the department. I called. But his aspirations were quickly complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest following the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.

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Under his leadership, the city saw a sharp rise in gun violence and the agency struggled to navigate the pandemic and protests, slowing progress on court-mandated reforms.

A month into the job, Brown called a “moonshot” goal of reducing Chicago’s annual murder rate to 300 or less. Murders rose from 498 in 2020 to 797 in 2021 and 695 in 2022, according to city data.

Some critics have accused Brown of insufficient motivation to reform the department, notably Robert Boyk, the CPD official who will lead the department’s reform effort to comply with the Consent Order. points to Brown’s decision to fire.

Other critics blame Brown for declining police morale and thousands of police vacancies caused in part by a wave of police retirements. He claims that he was overburdened.

Brown announced plans to step down in early March, the day after Lightfoot lost his bid for mayoral re-election. Stated.

Lightfoot, who hired Brown after dismissing former superintendent Eddie Johnson amid the scandal, praised Brown for promoting more women and for the department’s record number of illegal gun recalls. .

Brown declined to discuss his achievements and the criticism he faced in a call with the Tribune on Thursday.

He addressed the funeral of murdered police officer Andrés Mauricio Vázquez Lasso last week, but did not attend the police graduation ceremony earlier that week. Brown reportedly left Chicago on Wednesday to little fanfare within the division.

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According to a department news release, Mr. Carter is a 30-year veteran with the department and has held various patrol and investigative positions, including periods focused on gangs and drugs. He headed the Office of Counterterrorism and Special Operations and served as Brown’s second-in-command for most of his outgoing superintendent’s term.

Appointed by Lightfoot, the interim superintendent leads the department’s 11,700 sworn members during the summer months, when violent crime typically spikes in Chicago.

The incoming superintendent will be chosen in large part by the winner of the mayor’s runoff ballot held on April 4 between former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Ballas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. Both candidates have contrasting views on policing, but both have suggested that they want the local candidate to lead the police force.

Candidates said they would fire Brown before he announced his resignation. refused to mention it.

Selecting a new superintendent from within the department can pose challenges. Many of the division’s top leaders have left the force over the past few years.

No matter who becomes superintendent, federal consent orders, strong demands for accountability, rising violent crime, challenges with morale and staffing, and new leaders with their own vision of what the department needs to change You will have to fight the mayor.

jsheridan@chicagoribune.com