Help Wanted: A new top cop for Chicago

Former Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck is to be named Chicago’s interim police superintendent on Friday. He only plans to serve in the role for as long as needed while the city searches for a new permanent CPD leader. Our description for the job:

HELP WANTED

Position: Superintendent of Police

Employer: City of Chicago

Hours: Never ending

Salary: Probably not enough

Qualifications:

Candidate must have a thorough grounding in modern police work, extensive hands-on experience in law enforcement from beat cop to top brass, a finely tuned political radar, an ability to inspire rank-and-file officers, a commitment to policing reform, a deft touch in building community trust, an uncompromising respect for civil liberties, a zero tolerance for bad cops, a zeal for supporting good cops, a willingness to listen to everybody, and a disinclination to tap dancing for anybody, including mayors, aldermen, cop unions, self-appointed community advocates and state’s attorneys.

The ideal candidate could be an experienced outsider, like former Supt. Garry McCarthy, who arrived in Chicago from New York unencumbered by the inbred, see-no-evil culture of the Chicago Police Department.

The ideal candidate could be a CPD insider, like retiring Supt. Eddie Johnson, who knows what’s up and who’s who. Yes, that’s a contradiction.

Responsibilities:

Reduce violent crime rates more — keep it going. Improve CPD’s abysmal clearance rate — solve more crimes. Build on Johnson’s progress in easing tensions between the police and communities of color. Fire or sideline second-rate cops who lie on reports, cover up for bad cops and think a respect for constitutional rights is in conflict with effective police work.

Embrace ongoing reform of the police department, especially with respect to smarter recruitment and better training, as emphasized in the federal consent decree approved by a judge in January.

Demand a police union contract that no longer protects officers who screw up from being held accountable. The ideal candidate understands it is nuts that the police department has spent more than $700 million since 2010 on settlements and legal fees related to lawsuits alleging police brutality.

Bolster wellness and counseling programs for officers struggling with mental health. The ideal candidate understands it is heartbreaking that at least eight officers have taken their lives this year.

Employer statement of values:

CPD is — or should be — an equal opportunity police force that does not discriminate against any resident based on race, color, religion, legal immigration status or sexual orientation.

CPD does not care — or should not care — if you are a mayor’s nephew. CPD does not, or should not, give special treatment to officers who think their badge is a license to bully, like that cop who beat up a female bartender. CPD serves and protects every law-abiding resident.

CPD does not — no, actually it does — abide by a blue code of silence. That’s gotta go.

CPD believes crimefighting is not the business of the police alone, but the responsibility of every neighborhood from Rogers Park to Hegewisch. CPD works with schools, businesses, community groups, churches, synagogues and mosques. CPD understands, or should, that we’re all in this together.

CPD successes to build on:

Under Johnson’s watch, things have improved. Chicago has seen three years of declines in shootings and homicides and the fruitful beginnings of court-monitored department reform.

Use-of-force rules have been revised to emphasize de-escalation tactics. Police body cameras are in greater use, making police work more transparent. More officers are equipped with Tasers. Training reforms and new technology, such as ShotSpotter, have been introduced. More than 1,000 new officers have been hired.

Candidate must build on this progress, making sure to be visible to both beat cops in the city’s police districts and to the constituents they serve and protect.

How to apply:

By law, the Chicago Police Board, a panel of civilians, must launch a nationwide search. The board will submit three choices to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who will make her pick. The City Council must confirm her nomination.

In reality, that could be nothing but show, though the mayor says she’ll respect the process. Candidate should know that going in.

Three years ago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel rejected the three choices of the police board, which Lightfoot then headed, and went with Johnson. When it comes to hiring the top cop, mayors are big on process until process gets in their way. Then they do what they want.

The right or wrong police superintendent can make or break a mayor — and a city.

The ideal candidate knows this well, believes in Chicago — and can’t wait to get started.

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