Interim Chicago Police Supt. Charlie Beck Reflects On His Time With Chicago Police As He Prepares To Move On
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Wednesday marked five months to the day since Charlie Beck was given the job as Chicago's interim police superintendent.
Last week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot named David Brown as the next potential superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. On Wednesday afternoon, CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov spoke to Beck about the job, and handing over the reins.
One question Kozlov posed – what did Beck do to protect officers during the coronavirus pandemic?
"We try to mitigate risk," Beck said.
Beck is leaving his post as the interim Chicago Police superintendent at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is leaving after more than 100 Chicago Police officers and employees have been diagnosed with the illness.
Beck said he tried to make the force as safe as possible, but efforts continue.
"I finally got 100 infrared non-contact thermometers, and we disbursed them this past week so that they could be available in the stations so that we could keep people; help people to go home when they're sick," he said.
Beck, the former police chief in Los Angeles, was tapped by Mayor Lightfoot to serve on an interim basis after former Supt. Eddie Johnson announced his retirement, and then quickly resigned in a scandal.
"I think that they are a great organization that is in need of strong leadership," Beck said.
He said he believes the ongoing restructuring the department – including reopening two area headquarters and organizing command by geography rather than function, might be his biggest contribution here.
"The district commanders – the 22 district commanders – can be responsive to their communities by solving issues, not just pushing them off to somebody else. The district commanders now not only have the accountability, but the ability to make changes in their neighborhood," Beck said.
With Brown now poised to take over, Beck believes the new superintendent's number one priority will be restoring public trust – which will include abiding by a federal consent decree.
"And you do that one step at a time. You do that, you know, one conversation at a time," Beck said.
Beck can tell you exactly how long he has been in Chicago – 18 weeks. The City Council still needs to approve Brown, which could happen next week.
When it does, Beck is expected promptly to hand over the department to Brown and head back to California.
