Changes Coming To CPD As Overhaul Starts Next Month
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An overhaul of the Chicago Police Department was announced Thursday.
Eleven hundred officers will move back under district command. Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Charlie Beck said the added resources come with added accountability for commanders.
CBS 2's Chris Tye looked into why the interim police boss is making such permanent change.
"The mayor didn't hire me to be a place keeper. She didn't hire me just to keep the lights on," Beck said.
Charlie Beck is re-circuiting the CPD less than three months onto the job.
Turns out that's not uncommon.
When Terry Hillard and John Escalante were both interim superintendents, they changed the organizational chart too.
"Your org chart defines your values," Beck said. "And this shows that our values are aligned."
The values of the department have been challenged to say the least lately.
"It shows the systemic code of silence still in play in Chicago," said consent decree attorney Alexa Van Brunt.
Lawyers overseeing the consent decree, imposed to overhaul the department after the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, demanded deep and sweeping changes.
They had a hand in this. Next month the police house will be split into two halves of equal weight.
One with operations. Think patrol and detectives. The other: The office of constitutional policing and reform focusing on...
"Consent decree compliance, constitutional policing adherence and training," Beck said.
That half will be lead by Deputy Superintendent Barbara West, making her the highest ranking African American female in CPD history.
For Chicagoans, the biggest change will be felt as most detectives and those working gangs and narcotics will fall directly under the command of district commanders.
Homicide detectives will remain in separate regional sections. In addition, a new homicide unit is being created at headquarters. It's exactly what the U.S. Department of Justice called for in a scathing review of CPD last year, when the city saw 490 homicides.
Of those, CPD cleared 50% of those cases.
