3 CPD members named finalists for Chicago police superintendent
CHICAGO – Chicago’s search for its next police superintendent has narrowed to three members of the department.
Chicago police superintendent finalists
The details:
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability selected Chief Angel Novalez, Chief Chris Papaioannou and First Deputy Superintendent Antoinette Ursitti as finalists.
Novalez leads the department’s Office of Community Policing and has served with CPD for 26 years. Papaioannou leads the Bureau of Counterterrorism and has been with the department for 27 years. Ursitti oversees the department’s day-to-day operations.
The commission received 46 applications from across the country. It also held eight listening sessions to hear what the public wants in a police leader, then used that feedback to shape its candidate interviews.
“We were looking beyond resumes and years of service. We wanted to know how these candidates would address violent crime, support and lead officers under their command, and make progress on the consent decree and hold the department accountable. We also wanted to understand how they would strengthen community policing efforts and make sure Chicagoans feel both safe and respected in their interactions with police,” said Remel Terry, commission president.
What’s next:
Mayor Brandon Johnson has 30 days to choose one of the three finalists. If he rejects all three, the commission must submit three new names.
Once Johnson makes his selection, that person will go before the Chicago City Council for confirmation.
The backstory:
The search began after Superintendent Larry Snelling announced his retirement in July, following 34 years with the department. His final day was July 15, and CPD veteran Fred Waller has served as interim superintendent after his departure.
Snelling said he had the privilege of leading CPD through the 2024 Democratic National Convention and a year in which shootings, homicides and violent crime declined. He credited department members for that work and said there was more to be done.
The Source: The information in this story came from the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability and previous FOX Chicago reporting.
