Just one fine day after Mayor Lori Lightfoot failed in her bid for reelection, she announced Chicago Police Supt. David Brown is resigning. Brown’s resignation will take effect Thursday, March 16. The former Dallas police chief he will be returning to Texas and moving to the private sector.
“I’ve accepted a job opportunity to be the Chief Operating Officer of Loncar Lyon Jenkins, a personal injury law firm with seven offices in Texas. I will be stepping down as Chicago Police Superintendent effective March 16, 2023 so the incoming mayor can begin the process as soon as possible to hire the next Superintendent.”It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside the brave men and women of the Chicago Police Department. I will continue to pray that all officers return home to their families safe at the end of their shift. May the Good Lord bless the city of Chicago and the men and women who serve and protect this great city.”
Brown was handpicked by Mayor Lightfoot, and the mayor has been his biggest supporter. But with Lightfoot counting down her time in office, Brown did not waste any time putting in his resignation. Mayor Lightfoot released the following statement:“Today, Superintendent David O. Brown informed me that he would be resigning as Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department effective March 16. I accepted his resignation and want to commend him for his accomplishments not just for the department but the entire city, including setting a record number of illegal gun recoveries for two consecutive years; leading a double digit reduction in violent crime in 2022; significant, consistent progress on the consent decree; standing up a full time recruitment team that yielded over 950 new hires last year; significantly expanding the resources for officer wellness; and promoting more women to the senior exempt ranks than ever before in the history of the department. I personally want to thank him for his service to our city.”
Brown did however appear and speak Wednesday night at a news conference on a shooting that killed a Chicago Police officer in the Gage Park neighborhood. This was several hours after the announcement of his pending resignation. Before that, the last time Brown had made a public appearance was back on Feb. 10, when he provided an update to the news media about an arrest in a shooting outside Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen. As CBS 2’s Jermont Terry reported, Brown has not held his Monday briefings for some time.
Brown will be now replaced by First Deputy Supt. Eric Carter on an interim basis until a new mayor is sworn in. Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson are the finalists for a runoff election for mayor on April 4. Mayor Lightfoot has requested the city officially post Brown’s position and start the search for the new police superintendent immediately. That way, by the time a new mayor is voted in, either Vallas or Johnson will already have a good list to pick from.
