Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to reveal his choice for who will be the next leader of the Chicago Police Department this weekend, a mayoral spokesman told NBC Chicago.
Chicago's newly-formed Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability had last month revealed their three finalists to be the next police superintendent, with two of the finalists coming from within the department.
According to the CCPSA, the following individuals were nominated following a 120-day search process, which included community meetings and involvement from a consulting group:
- Shon F. Barnes, Madison, Wis. Chief of Police
- Angel Novalez, CPD Chief of Constitutional Policing and Reform
- Larry Snelling, CPD Chief of Counterterrorism
Several Chicago alderman have told NBC Chicago they expect Snelling will be Johnson's top choice, but the official announcement is slated for the coming days.
Snelling is a 28-year member of CPD, and has served as the department's Counterterrorism Chief since 2022. Snelling has previously served as Deputy Chief of Area 2, 7th District Commander, Sergeant of Training and Sergeant of Patrol. From 2001-2010, Snelling was an instructor for the department's training academy. Snelling was a lead trainer for field force training ahead of the 2012 Chicago NATO Summit.
Meanwhile, Barnes is a 23-year veteran of law enforcement with experience in Salisbury and Greensboro, both in North Carolina, before becoming the Chief of Police in Madison. Barnes began his career as a patrol officer in Greensboro in 2000, and served as the Deputy Chief of Police in Salisbury from 2017-2020. Additionally, Barnes served as the Director of Training and Professional Development for Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
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Novalez is a 23-year veteran of CPD, currently in charge of the department's reform, training and policy strategies. Previously, Novalez was the Deputy Chief of Community Policing from 2021-2022, and was the Commander of the Office of Community Policing from 2020-2021. Novalez has served as a police officer in numerous Chicago neighborhoods, and was previously a 5th District Sergeant.
In a statement after the finalists were announced, Johnson said the moment marked "an important milestone in our search for a new superintendent of the Chicago Police Department" and said the finalists came from "a field of highly qualified candidates."
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"I want to express my gratitude to all those that applied, and commend the CCPSA for its dedicated work throughout this selection process. I am confident that Chicago’s next superintendent will inspire trust, foster collaboration, and lead with integrity," he said. "Together we will continue to build a better, stronger, and safer Chicago.”
The Chicago Police Department is currently being led by interim Superintendent Fred Waller, who was appointed May 15. Waller spent 34 years at the department before joining a parade of top brass to leave during the turbulent tenure of now-departed Supt. David Brown.
