Is Ald. Hopkins trying to influence the decision on the next CPD superintendent?
Publicly blasting interim superintendent smells like a political ploy
Few will refute that over many decades, Chicago operates under 50 wards that in many instances can appear to be fiefdoms. Alderman vehemently protect their “turf” and simultaneously give broad sway to their colleagues about what goes on in their respective wards. It was not surprising when 2nd Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins railed about the recent mayhem downtown and on Du Sable Lake Shore Drive. Other council members’ comments didn’t make the splash Hopkins did.
What was surprising is Hopkins, who just won his third term when he ran unopposed in the February general election, opted to publicly slam Eric Carter, interim superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
Most of the weekend mayhem was in the ward Hopkins represents, which includes Streeterville, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Ukrainian Village, Wicker Park, Bucktown and the Gold Coast. It is a given he would speak out about the damages and harm businesses suffered. No doubt he was saying most of the things his constituents want to hear.
Hopkins overstepped his bounds when he shared that Carter and one of his subordinates had a shouting match over who was in charge while chaos reigned. It is the kind of inside information that can only be provided by someone who was present and had Hopkins’ ear. In his remarks to the news media, Hopkins never said he witnessed the exchange.
Since the alderman is apparently operating on hearsay, which is obviously intended to make Carter look bad and be a less desirable candidate for the job permanently; Hopkins’ statements smack of being a political ploy-possibly to shine a favorable light on the subordinate-Brian McDermott- whom Carter supposedly beefed with.
This is a time when Chicagoans’ eyes are intensely focused on CPD. Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson will have a decision to make on who will lead the department once he takes office in mid-May. Logic dictates Carter’s name would be on the list of candidates an independent commission recommends to the mayor. Who knows whether tarnishing Carter’s name now will impact the decision to recommend or select him as the permanent Superintendent?
The CPD hierarchy is loaded with command staff that had some level of responsibility for keeping the peace. Hopkins was correct when he said there was “a breakdown in command and control,” That breakdown should have not been allowed to travel upward as far as the superintendent level.
Hopkins knows the department is adjusting to a new leadership style as former superintendent David Brown resigned less than two weeks ago. Common sense dictates that Carter’s attention should be focused on fixing existing problems rather than trying to be a fortune teller of looming doom,