Chicago civic leaders urge local choice for next top cop

By Fiona Ortiz

CHICAGO (Reuters) - After a decade of outsiders serving as Chicago's police chief, local politicians and church leaders are pushing for an insider to take charge of the 12,000-member force after a history of police shootings that have damaged public trust in the department.

For many Chicagoans, the ideal candidate is Eugene Williams, 62, an African-American who has served on the force for 36 years. Many of those have worked with Williams over the years believe he has the best chance of repairing frayed relations between the police and the city's large black community.

The vacancy opened up in December when Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired his last chief, Garry McCarthy. The dismissal came during protests that broke out over a videotape showing the fatal shooting of a black teenager by a white policeman.

Prosecutors have charged the officer with murder, a rarity in a police-involved shooting, and a federal investigation into the department's use of force is under way.

Of 405 people shot by Chicago police over the past eight years, 74 percent were black. The city's population is roughly one-third black.

One of three finalists interviewed by Emanuel to lead the police in the nation's third-biggest city, Williams has strong local backing.

"Williams has overwhelming support from pastors, and community activists like the idea of him being the superintendent," said Corey Brooks, pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago.

There are two other contenders. Cedric Alexander, director of public safety in DeKalb County, Georgia, has also advised President Barack Obama and worked as a CNN commentator. Anne Kirkpatrick is police chief in Spokane, Washington.

ACCOUNTABILITY A BIG ISSUE

Many in Chicago want Emanuel to look inside this time for its top cop instead of going outside as it has for its prior two chiefs. McCarthy had been police chief in Newark, New Jersey, and a deputy commissioner for the New York City Police Department. His predecessor, Jody Weis, was an FBI agent.

Williams, who is known as Gene, has an entirely different resume. He worked himself up from beat cop and currently runs the department's $1.4 billion budget as chief of support services.

Williams, also a finalist for chief in 2011, did not respond to an interview request, but in his application for the job he said the department must heed early warnings about problem police officers and severely discipline officers who show bias.

"Police use of force must be an absolute last resort measure," he added in his application essay.

Police accountability is sure to be a major issue for the new superintendent after complaints that the city frequently settles lawsuits by paying people who complain of police violence while officers are rarely disciplined.

Emanuel has said he will consider every candidate's ability to build trust and cooperation with the African-American community when making his decision. He is expected to name the new chief in the coming days or weeks.

HIGHER TRUST

Williams, who is also a lay leader at his church, South Shore United Methodist, has won praise from many law enforcement professionals, pastors and politicians.

Robyn Dessaure, assistant director of the Chicago field office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said she admired his work to improve relations with Chicago's Muslim community.

In his role as leader of the local chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, Williams helped organize six outreach sessions with Muslim-Americans intended to make people more comfortable about contacting the police, Dessaure said.

Chicago politicians say they are eager for a chief who can improve relations with the city's black community, which is the most affected by violent crime and also the most critical of police use of deadly force.

"He's reachable, he's cooperative, he's engaging and at the same time he has a toughness. He's no pushover," said Danny Davis, a U.S. Congressman whose district includes large parts of Chicago.

Higher trust of police would mean that more people in gang-torn neighborhoods will cooperate to help solve crime, according to policing experts.

As of March 20, there have been 125 murders in Chicago this year, up sharply from the last four years. Shootings have also soared.

(Editing by Ben Klayman and Matthew Lewis)

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