Mayor Johnson has a chance to make Chicago history, but will he?
Only 1 percent of all police chiefs are female
The Chicago City Council has a Progressive Caucus and Mayor Brandon Johnson, since he was introduced to us has been labeled “progressive.” It is a word tossed around throughout the governmental and political spheres-unfortunately what it means depends on who you ask.
I am going to take my understanding of the language and politics and declare it means doing things differently, and hopefully better. If we ride with that for a while then when Johnson, as a progressive, decides on a permanent superintendent for the Chicago Police Department he should do things differently.
He should do something that not only is different, but historic as well. That would be to appoint a female as the the next superintendent. Female cops, namely former Deputy Superintendent Barbara West, have gotten near the top; but have never been the city’s top cop. West retired from CPD three years ago after 26 years on the force.
The quasi-governmental agency, the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, that will make recommendations to Johnson for the next superintendent already indicated there are a dozen female applicants for the job.
The commission hosted a half dozen public meetings throughout Chicago to get citizens’ input on the kind of superintendent they wanted. Not surprisingly, only a few hundred of the city’s 2 million-plus residents participated -even with the Zoom meeting included. It wasn’t a surprise either that participants focused on the kind of department, not superintendent they wanted. That was according to several quotes in a Chicago Tribune story.
Johnson would not be treading in uncharted waters- in 2008 four women were serving as chiefs in New Jersey. Connecticut also had four, and New York State had nine. Detroit, San Francisco and Washington, D. C. departments all have had women at the helm.
Appointing a female superintendent would be a bold step, especially given the culture of the force-male dominated and not particularly “progressive in their thinking.” It is the perfect way for Johnson to set the tone that his administration, wherever possible, has abandoned the old way of doing things in hopes of moving the department into the 21st Century. Such an appointment also would give the city historic public safety bookends as Annette Nance-Holt is the Chicago Fire Department’s top ranking officer.
If he chose to make such an appointment, Johnson’s pick would have to be impeccable as he knows, or should know, the scrutiny on her will be more intense -from members of the department, public and news media-than it would be with any male appointee.
The mayor would serve himself well to informally meet with female CPD officers to get a better understanding of what life is like for them should he opt for a female superintendent. The appointment also will require city council approval and with 18 female members voting in a bloc it is an appointment that is likely to get the full council approval.