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Chicago police superintendent search advances with three CPD insiders

Chicago police superintendent search advances with three CPD insiders

Force in Play Chicago, IL local

Commission sends Ursitti, Novalez and Papaioannou to Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has 30 days to pick or restart the search.

Yesterday: Commission sends three CPD insiders to mayor

Overview

Updated 2 hours ago

Chicago's police oversight commission sent three longtime department officials to Mayor Brandon Johnson on Nov. 12 as finalists for superintendent. All three have spent more than 25 years in the Chicago Police Department, and First Deputy Supt. Antoinette Ursitti would be the first woman to lead it.

Johnson has 30 days to choose one, reject all three, or request a new search. The pick will inherit a department with falling homicides, a federal consent decree that is still only partly satisfied, and a mayoral election approaching.

Why it matters

The next superintendent will run a department under a federal reform decree as Chicago's mayor campaigns for reelection.

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Key Indicators

3
Finalists
All three are current CPD officials with more than 25 years on the force.
46
Applicants
Down from 53 in the 2023 search.
30
Days for mayor's decision
Johnson can pick one, reject all three, or request a new search.
32%
Consent decree compliance
Share of federal reform requirements CPD had fully met as of the latest monitor report.
4%
Homicide decline in 2026
After a 60-year low in 2025, homicides are down again this year.

Voices

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People Involved

Antoinette Ursitti
Antoinette Ursitti
First Deputy Superintendent, Chicago Police Department
Finalist for superintendent
 Angel Novalez
Angel Novalez
Chief of Community Policing, Chicago Police Department
Finalist for superintendent
 Christopher Papaioannou
Christopher Papaioannou
Chief of the Bureau of Counterterrorism, Chicago Police Department
Finalist for superintendent
 Brandon Johnson
Brandon Johnson
Mayor of Chicago
Must decide on finalists within 30 days
LS
Larry Snelling
Former Superintendent, Chicago Police Department
Retired July 16, 2026
RT
Remel Terry
President, Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
Led commission vote on finalists

Organizations Involved

CC
Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
Police oversight commission
Selected three finalists for superintendent

The civilian commission that screens superintendent candidates and sends finalists to the mayor.
Chicago Police Department
Chicago Police Department
Municipal Police Department
Subject of superintendent search

The municipal police department the next superintendent will lead.
City of Chicago
City of Chicago
Municipal government
Mayor must choose next superintendent

The municipal government whose mayor must choose the next superintendent.

Timeline

2017 November 2026

5 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Commission sends three CPD insiders to mayor

    Latest Appointment

    The CCPSA unanimously selected Ursitti, Novalez and Papaioannou as finalists.

  2. Snelling retires after less than three years

    Retirement

    He promoted Antoinette Ursitti to first deputy days before announcing his retirement.

  3. CCPSA begins four-month nationwide search

    Search

    The commission held six public meetings and paid a search firm $200,000.

  4. Johnson appoints Larry Snelling as superintendent

    Appointment

    Snelling was chosen after a search that drew 53 applicants.

  5. Federal probe finds CPD routinely violated constitutional rights

    Investigation

    The U.S. Department of Justice investigation found officers routinely violated the constitutional rights of Black and Latino Chicagoans.

Scenarios

1

Johnson picks Ursitti, first woman to lead CPD

Possible Resolves by Feb 28, 2027

Discussed by: Chicago Sun-Times and WTTW highlight Ursitti's first-woman milestone and command experience.

Johnson selects First Deputy Supt. Antoinette Ursitti from the slate. The City Council confirms her, making her the first woman superintendent. Her budget-hearing performance and detective command give her a public profile.

2

Johnson picks Novalez, first Latino superintendent since 1997

Possible Resolves by Feb 28, 2027

Discussed by: WTTW notes Novalez would be the first Latino in a non-interim role since 1997 and was a 2023 finalist.

Johnson chooses Chief of Community Policing Angel Novalez. The City Council confirms him, making him the second Latino superintendent and the first in nearly 20 years. His reform portfolio and repeat finalist status make him a known quantity.

3

Johnson picks Papaioannou despite 2021 suspension

Possible Resolves by Feb 28, 2027

Discussed by: WTTW reports Papaioannou's seven-day suspension; CWB notes his counterterrorism role.

Johnson selects Counterterrorism Chief Christopher Papaioannou. The City Council confirms him after weighing his DNC coordination against a 2021 discipline record for failing to document use of force.

4

Johnson rejects all three and orders new search

Possible Resolves by Dec 12, 2026

Discussed by: Sun-Times and WTTW note Johnson can reject all three and request a second search.

Johnson uses his 30-day window to reject the slate. The CCPSA must restart the search, delaying a permanent superintendent. The move would follow criticism that the finalists are all CPD insiders.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2023

Chicago's 2023 superintendent search

The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability sent three finalists to Mayor Brandon Johnson, including Angel Novalez. Johnson chose Larry Snelling, a Black commander from Englewood.

Then

Snelling led for less than three years. Murders fell to historic lows and the 2024 Democratic National Convention passed without a major security failure.

Now

The 2023 search set the template for this year's process: a commission-led nationwide search and a finalist slate sent to the mayor.

Why this matters now

Novalez is the only repeat finalist, and the 2023 outcome shows how the commission's slate shapes the mayor's choice.

2014-2019

Laquan McDonald shooting and federal consent decree (2014-2019)

Chicago officer Jason Van Dyke shot and killed 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014. A 2017 federal probe found CPD routinely violated the constitutional rights of Black and Latino Chicagoans, leading to a federal consent decree.

Then

The decree imposed court-ordered reforms on use of force, training, and accountability.

Now

CPD had fully complied with 32% of the decree's requirements as of the latest monitor report.

Why this matters now

The next superintendent will inherit the decree and must keep compliance moving.

2020

2020 Chicago unrest and police accountability

After George Floyd's murder, unrest swept Chicago. Papaioannou, then commander of the Town Hall district, received a seven-day suspension after the Civilian Office of Police Accountability found he failed to properly document officers' use of force.

Then

The suspension became part of his record as he rose to counterterrorism chief.

Now

The episode remains a specific accountability question for his nomination.

Why this matters now

It gives the City Council and public a concrete record to weigh against his DNC experience.

Sources

(3)
Chicago Sun-Times WTTW CWB Chicago