Former Dallas Chief of Police David Brown has been picked to lead the Chicago Police Department.
“While we may hail from different backgrounds and walks of life, as police officers, we are all united to answer a call to rise and serve our fellow neighbors, communities and cities,” Brown said in a statement published on NBCChicago.com. “I want to thank Mayor Lightfoot for giving me this honor to serve alongside Chicago’s 13,000 police officers and build upon this city’s historic crime reductions and reform efforts that will create not only a safer city, but also a stronger Chicago Police Department.”
Brown replaced former Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who NBCChicago.com reported was fired by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot one month before his previously planned retirement was set to take effect after she said he "intentionally misled" her.
Brown, who retired from the Dallas Police Department in 2016, served as the chief of police for six years; in total, he spent more than three decades with the Dallas Police Department.
Brown said he joined the police force in 1983 because of the crack cocaine epidemic's impact on his neighborhood in Oak Cliff.
During his tenure as chief, he focused on community policing and transparency while facing backlash from unions over the city's low pay. He fought to reduce reports of police brutality and officer-involved shootings.
Brown retired in 2016 and was replaced a year later by Renee Hall, who was an assistant chief with the Detroit Police Department. Hall, on Thursday, tweeted congratulations to Chicago's new superintendent.
Brown was one of three finalists considered for the Chicago police superintendent position including Chicago Police Deputy Chief Ernest Cato and Kristen Zinman, the chief of police in the Chicago suburb of Aurora.
