CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson brought out his pick Monday afternoon for the next leader of the Chicago Police Department: veteran officer and lifelong South Sider Larry Snelling.
Johnson introduced Snelling as the “son of Englewood,” saying he was “fully confident” in his ability to be a change agent while keeping the trust of the force’s rank-and-file.
“He can boost morale and implement constitutionally driven reforms that will ultimately create a safer Chicago,” Johnson said. “It puts him in a class all by himself … Thank you Chief Snelling for your willingness to accept this challenge.”
Snelling, currently the department’s counterterrorism chief, has been with Chicago Police for three decades. He previously served as commander of the Englewood (7th) District and a sergeant at the police academy, among several roles.
As one of the department’s experts on use of force, Snelling redesigned the department’s use of force policy and has testified in federal cases on the issue, according to his department bio and the Tribune.
Snelling said Monday his first priorities include boosting officer training and wellness by adding mental health resources and giving additional notice when canceling days off.
“When these officers feel good about themselves, they feel good about the department, and they feel good about the job they’re doing, they’ll feel good and great with the community,” Snelling said. “For our officers to love someone else, we have to love them.”
Snelling vowed to take a holistic approach to “address the root causes of violence” through collaboration between Johnson, other city departments, community stakeholders and “constitutional policing.”
“At the heart of public safety is compassion, empathy, and problem solving,” Snelling said. “That’s what our community and our department knows as well.”
Snelling said he’ll work toward reforms under the federal consent decree, which the department has consistently lagged behind on benchmarks, but would not “force training to meet compliance.”
“We can’t just simply believe the consent decree, without true enforcement of it, is going to change this department,” Snelling said. “In order to change this department and produce the best possible officers we can put out there, our training has to be robust and has to work for our officers.”
The full City Council will need to approve Snelling in order for him to be sworn in as top cop.
Snelling was raised on the South Side and attended Englewood High School before studying adult education at DePaul University, according to Johnson’s office.
He joined CPD in 1992, working as a patrol officer in Englewood before being promoted to sergeant in the Morgan Park (22nd) District. He returned to the 7th as watch operations lieutenant before being promoted to commander, and later, deputy chief of Area 2, Johnson’s office said.
Snelling is also known for his experience at the police training academy. He taught Physical Skills and Operations sections for recruit training and redesigned the Department’s use of force training model around national best practices, according to Johnson’s office.
Snelling was promoted to chief of the Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism in 2022.
The CPD veteran was Johnson’s pick from a crowded field of candidates that was narrowed to three by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, the civilian-led commission created under an ordinance passed in the aftermath of mass protests in 2020.
The other finalists for the role were Angel Novalez, also a longtime Chicago officer, and Shon Barnes of the Madison Police Department in Wisconsin.
Interim commissioner Anthony Driver commended Snelling on his commitment to continued community oversight, saying he emerged as the top choice after the commission met with 75 community groups, held public forums and received over 270 responses from police officers. Much of the feedback included calls to choose from within the department’s ranks.
Snelling thanked interim Police Superintendent Fred Waller for backing him early in his career and said he’ll be in sync with Johnson, sharing a “belief” in the mayor’s vision of keeping Chicago safe “through the support of the full force of government.”
The new police commander backed away from questions about the use of the controversial ShotSpotter technology and the immediate crisis of migrants sleeping on the floors of police stations.
“The mayor is working diligently to get housing for the migrants. I don’t have a timeline on that right now,” Snelling said. “But I can guarantee those migrants are in those stations, they’re going to be treated with respect and dignity like human beings should be.”
Regarding ShotSpotter, Johnson stood in front of Snelling at the podium and said, “We’re going to have that conversation in the future.”
Snelling said “every officer is going to be a community police officer” and that he would focus on building stronger relationships between law enforcement and the communities they police. Part of the outreach strategy would include “diversion and deflection programs” for at-risk youth, he said.
Snelling also said he was open to expanding programs that involve sending mental health workers to scenes in lieu of police officers, based on “information that we gather before we get to that call.”
“If we have mental health calls that can be handled by someone outside of the Chicago Police Department, that would really be helpful to the Chicago Police,” Snelling said.
In his closing remarks, Snelling spoke directly to victims of violence in Chicago.
“I hear you, I see you, and I stand with you,” Snelling said. “We’re always seeking justice.”
The police union cheered the announcement of Snelling on Facebook Sunday, posting, “Congratulations to Chief Snelling !!!”
The ACLU, which has sued the police department multiple times over civil rights violations, called the selection of Snelling “an opportunity for fundamental change in the way people across the City experience policing.”
“Chief Snelling should embrace this moment to change the ‘us versus them’ culture in CPD — a change that is long overdue,” said Alexandra Block, Senior Supervising Attorney at the ACLU of Illinois. “At core, this culture change means pushing towards a community safety approach that ensures that all people in Chicago are treated with respect, provided with the timely services and support they need, regardless of their zip code, and are able to live without fear, including the fear that too often stems from interactions with law enforcement.”
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