Press Release

Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability Closes Application Period For Chicago Police Superintendent Search with 44 Applicants

Date:

September 28, 2026

CHICAGO, IL– The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) has closed the application period for Chicago’s next Superintendent of the Police following a month-long nationwide recruitment effort that drew 44 applicants. 

The applicant pool includes current and former members of the Chicago Police Department, as well as candidates from outside of CPD. 

Ralph Andersen & Associates, the national executive search firm retained by the Commission to assist with recruitment and candidate review, has described the applicant pool as strong and consistent with what it would expect to see in a police chief search in a major U.S. city. 

The search firm is encouraged by the strength of the candidate pool, including applicants who have held high-ranking law enforcement leadership positions in major cities, including Chicago. The pool is also racially and ethnically diverse. 

“We’re excited to begin reviewing applications, but we also know that a resume only tells you so much,” said CCPSA President Remel Terry. “The next phase is really about getting to know these candidates as leaders- how they make difficult decisions, how they work with communities and officers, and whether they understand what it takes to lead CPD at this moment. That’s the work we’re looking forward to beginning.” 

The application period opened August 27 and closed September 24. Commissioners will begin reviewing applications as the search moves into the candidate evaluation and interview phases. 

The transition comes as the Commission also enters the final stretch of its community engagement efforts, which have taken place alongside the nationwide recruitment process. Over the past two months, the Commission has held listening sessions across the North, South, and West Sides, a citywide virtual session, and targeted conversations with community organizations, members of law enforcement, policing subject matter experts, and other stakeholders from across Chicago. 

The Commission’s community engagement efforts will wrap up this month. One of the final opportunities will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Little Village Lawndale High School, where the Commission will host a citywide listening session conducted entirely in Spanish.  

“Chicagoans have shown us throughout this process that they want a voice in choosing the next leader of their police department,” President Terry said. “We have intentionally created different ways for people to participate, including opportunities designed to reach communities that may not traditionally engage in the Commission’s work. Tomorrow’s Spanish- language session is another important part of making sure this process reflects all voices from across our city.” 

Throughout the engagement process, Chicagoans have shared their expectations for the next Superintendent and the challenges they believe CPD’s next leader must be prepared to address. Common themes have included strong leadership, accountability, community trust, officer support, public safety and continued progress on police reform. Residents have also emphasized the importance of a Superintendent who understands Chicago’s communities and is willing to listen to both residents and officers. 

“We said from the beginning that community engagement would not simply be about checking a box,” Terry said. “What Chicagoans have shared with us will help inform the questions we ask candidates and the considerations Commissioners bring into the evaluation process. As we begin reviewing applications, that community perspective becomes an important part of the next phase of our work.” 

The Commission will conduct multiple rounds of interviews in October. To protect the integrity of the search and the privacy of applicants, the Commission will not discuss or confirm the identities of candidates. 

Under the CCPSA ordinance, the Commission is responsible for conducting a nationwide search and submitting three finalists to the Mayor. The Commission has until November 12 to submit those names. The Mayor must then select a Superintendent from the Commission’s list of three finalists or reject the list with a written explanation requesting a new slate of candidates. 

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