Chicago’s newly selected top cop says reducing violence, officers’ well being among top priorities

By MICHAEL TARM
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago native pegged as the city’s next police superintendent has said at his introductory news conference that his top priorities include finding ways to tamp down violent crime. Fifty-four-year-old Larry Snelling is a former police patrolman and was the head of the department’s counterterrorism division. Snelling on Monday cited his own experiences in calling for a comprehensive strategy to address the violence. Snelling says his priorities include building trust with communities historically suspicious of police, ensuring high-level training for officers and attending to officers’ mental well-being. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson chose Snelling to lead the 12,000-officer police force. Neither the mayor nor Snelling offered details on new crime-fighting strategies.