Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has recently rejected the three finalists for the top cop position as per the recommendations of the Chicago Police Board. He instead appointed the current chief of patrol to be the new interim police superintendent.
In a report by Chicago Patch, the mayor asked Eddie Johnson to take on the post. The three top picks have been identified as Dr. Cedric Alexander, the director of Public Safety in Dekalb County, Georgia; Anne Kirkpatrick, the former Chief of Police in Spokane, Washington; and Eugene Williams, the Chief of Support Services in Chicago.
Johnson is said to be an African-American and he has been tapped to boost the Chicago cops' morale as well as restoring the citizens' trust to the police body. The post, which has a $260,044 annual salary, was offered to Johnson in order to find a replacement for former Supt. Garry McCarthy. McCarthy was fired by Emanuel after the public called on the mayor to do something about police violence, Providence Journal reported. This comes after the video of a white cop was released, which showed the officer shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times resulting to his death.
Johnson is also a 27-year veteran of the force but Is not among the recommendations of the board. He was also a former commander of the Gresham police district on the South Side before he got promoted to deputy chief of patrol in 2012 and became the chief of patrol last December, The Republic reported.
Alderman Anthony Beale said in a statement that he supports the nominations but he believes that Johnson is suited to lead the Chicago Police Department, noting that the officer knows the challenges that the force is facing now.
A city ordinance allows the mayor to appoint an interim chief and his appointment means the police board will have to round up a new list of finalists.
