Time's almost up for those interested in becoming Chicago's next top cop.
Though Philadelphia's Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey removed himself from the running last week, it's expected there will be healthy competition for those who want the job.
Some applicants are Chicagoans, some are not. After the Monday deadline, Chicago's nine-member Police Board will read the applications and hold interviews for perhaps 10 candidates. The board then presents three choices to Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel for his final pick.
Included in applications are four letters of recommendation and answers to four essay questions.
In one question, the Police Board tries to predict how the next superintendent might handle a legal crisis. It asks, "Have you ever invoked the 5th Amendment, and why?"
Police experts call it the Phil Cline question. When former superintendent Cline held the job, several controversies brewed involving police officers (Abbate, SOS officers, Burge), and he had promised to invoke his 5th Amendment rights if called to testify.
Emanuel has said he wants Chicago's next superintendent to have street experience. He also wants his law enforcement team in place by his inauguration day on May 16.
So who's up for Chicago's next top cop? The Sun-Times' Michael Sneed speculated last week that the city might see a historic first: a woman may get the post.
