Mayor Brandon Johnson names new top cop
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Sunday selected Larry Snelling as Chicago’s next top cop. Snelling heads the police department’s counter-terrorism unit. Snelling will succeed David Brown after Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost the mayoral primary in April.
“Today, a new chapter begins in our journey to create a better, stronger, and safer Chicago,” Johnson said in a news release.
“Chief Snelling is a proven leader who has the experience and the respect of his peers to help ensure the safety and well-being of city residents, and address the complex challenges we all face related to community safety.”
Snelling was raised on the city’s South Side and attended its public schools. He has a bachelor’s degree in adult education from DePaul University and joined the department in 1992 as a patrol officer.
“It is a tremendous honor to answer the call to serve my hometown and the people of Chicago as superintendent of the Chicago Police Department,” Snelling said in a statement. “It is also a tremendous responsibility, and one that I do not take lightly.”
He has been chief of the department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism, which coordinates with the Office of Emergency Management and Communication and other city agencies, since 2022.