>>> AFTER WEEKS OF SPECULATION, THE MAYOR FINALLY MADE HIS CHOICE AS THE POLICE SUPERINTENDENT.

LARRY SNELLING .

HERE IS WHAT THE FUTURE CHIEF SAID ABOUT HIS APPROACH TO POLICING AND TACKLING VIOLENT CRIME.

>> WE HAVE FORGOTTEN EVERYWHERE , THE VICTIMS OF CRIME.

THE TRAUMA THOSE VICTIMS DEAL WITH.

WE CANNOT FORGET ABOUT THEM.

WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE.

EVERY MEMBER OF THE CITY HAS TO BE STAKEHOLDER.

I AM WILLING TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY WITHIN THE CITY AND WORK TOGETHER TO RESOLVE SOME OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE AND MAKE THE CITY AS SAFE AS WE CAN POSSIBLY MAKE IT.

>> HE IS CURRENTLY THE HEAD OF THE COUNTERTERRORISM BUREAU.

MAYOR JOHNSON CALLED HIM A PROVEN LEADER.

HE WITH MORE ON WHY THEY SELECTED HIM ARE ANTHONY DRIVER , PRESIDENT OF THE COMMUNICATION MISSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

IT COMMUNITY LEADER AND ADVOCATE FROM THE WESTSIDE, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS WHO SERVED ON THE COMMISSION.

LARRY SNELLING WAS ONE OF THREE FINALISTS THE COMMISSION FORWARDED TO THE MAYOR.

WHAT SET HIM APART ?

>> HIS TRACK RECORD.

HIS PERSONAL STORY.

BORN IN RAISED IN INGLEWOOD.

HE KNOWS WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE AN OFFICER.

HE HAS BEEN THROUGH THE RANKS IN THE DEPARTMENT .

>> WHAT WERE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF HIM ?

>> CHIEF LARRY SNELLING CAME WITH A SENSE OF PREPAREDNESS.

HE WAS ABLE TO SHARE HIS EXPERIENCE AND LESSONS LEARNED.

HE WAS ABLE TO PAINT A CLEAR PICTURE OF HOW HE WILL MOVE FORWARD IN THIS ROLE IN A WAY THAT WOULD BENEFIT EVERYBODY IN CHICAGO.

>> A 31 YEAR VETERAN, HE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS TO BE IN A POSITION TO APPLY FOR THIS.

WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT HIM?

>> THAT HE IS DEDICATED.

HE IS CONSISTENTLY MOVED UP THROUGH THE RANKS.

A SERGEANT JUST FIVE YEARS AGO.

IT TELLS YOU ABOUT HIS PREPAREDNESS.

HE HAS BEEN A RANK-AND-FILE OFFICER.

HE HAS RAISED HIS FAMILY HERE.

>> HE WILL TACKLE IMMEDIATE PRESSURE TO FIGURE OUT THE CITY'S PROBLEM WITH VIOLENT CRIME.

WHAT DID HE TELL YOU ABOUT HIS APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM ?

>> SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE.

THERE IS A NEED TO ENGAGE ALL STAKEHOLDERS.

HE HAS MADE A COMMITMENT TO BE PRESENT, INVOLVED , ACCESSIBLE, WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT FOR SOMEONE IN HIS POSITION.

HE IS LISTENING TO EVERYONE.

EVERYONE WHO CARES ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN CHICAGO SO HE CAN MAKE A BALANCED DECISION AND STRATEGY ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD .

>> UNDER PRESSURE TO ACCELERATE THE PROCESS OF PERFORMING THE DEPARTMENT.

HERE IS A LITTLE OF WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

>> IF WE ARE JUST LOOKING TO GET OFFICERS THROUGH TRAINING, WE ARE PUTTING OFFICERS IN TRAINING BUT NOT TRAINING OFFICERS.

WE CANNOT JUST SIMPLY BELIEVE THAT THE CONSENT DECREE, WITHOUT TRUE ENFORCEMENT, IS GOING TO CHANGE THE DEPARTMENT.

IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE DEPARTMENT AND PRODUCE THE BEST POSSIBLE OFFICERS WE CAN PUT OUT THERE, OUR TRAINING HAS TO BE ROBUST AND IT HAS TO WORK FOR OFFICERS .

>> ANTHONY, WILL YOU SEE MORE RAPID COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONSENT DECREE ?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

OUR PRIMARY JOB, IT IS OVERSIGHT.

WE WORK WITH EVERY PERSON AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE WILL BE PAYING ATTENTION TO.

WE WILL EVALUATE THIS AT THE END OF THE YEAR TO MAKE SURE OUR DEPARTMENT IS IN COMPLIANT .

>> THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE PUBLICLY ELECTED COMMISSION HAS GIVEN INPUT ON THE SELECTION OF A SUPERINTENDENT.

HOW DID IT GO ?

>> IT WAS A HEAVY LIFT.

THE RESULTS OF WHERE WE CAME TO , THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS BEING EXCITED ABOUT CHIEF LARRY SNELLING BEING SELECTED , IT IS A TESTAMENT TO HOW GREAT OF A PROCESS IT IS.

WHETHER YOU ARE SPEAKING TO BUSINESS OWNERS , OFFICERS, EVEN THE POLICE UNION .

WE ARE GETTING KUDOS FOR THE PROCESS OF MAKING IT TRANSPARENT, MAKING EVERYONE'S VOICE HEARD.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT.

>> HOW WILL HE BE RECEIVED IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY?

>> HE HAS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED HE HAS RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND OTHER COMMUNITIES .

THAT IS A GREAT THING.

NOT JUST SOMEONE WHO IS A BLACK CHIEF.

HE HAS RELATIONSHIPS ALL OVER THE CITY OF CHICAGO, WITH RANK-AND-FILE OFFICERS, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THAT WORK AND BUILDS TRUST WHERE IT NEVER EXISTED.

>> IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE , HE SAID WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE OFFICER WELLNESS.

DO YOU THINK HE ALSO RECOGNIZES THE NEED TO CHANGE THE CULTURE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND NOT JUST MEETING THE TRAINING TO MEET THE CONSENT DECREE?

>> ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE MOST DISHEARTENING THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IS HOW STRESSED OUT SOME OF THE OFFICERS WERE.

HIS FOCUS ON TRAINING AND WELLNESS IS NEEDED.

SOMETHING OUR CITY DESPERATELY NEEDS .

>> THERE ARE MORE STEPS, A NUMBER OF CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS