• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • Go that extra mile with a smile
      Improving the promotional process for supervisors
      Developing an ethics-centered police department
      Leadership without the family factor is not leadership
      Prozac saved my career, and possibly my life
  • Topics
    • Leadership
      • Go that extra mile with a smile
        Improving the promotional process for supervisors
        Developing an ethics-centered police department
        Leadership without the family factor is not leadership
        Prozac saved my career, and possibly my life
    • Editor’s Picks
      • Off duty, but never off guard
        The tyranny of memories
        Meeting training needs on a limited budget
        Empowering through experience
        Getting ahead of the story
    • On the Job
      • No case too cold
        Summer is coming
        Securing the Texas border one K-9 team at a time
        Empowering through experience
        Philadelphia Amtrack officer’s quick actions saves conductor’s...
    • Labor
      • Insufficient police staffing continues throughout the U.S.
        The righteous battle
        Recruitment and retention
        Austin police chief aims to end officer shortage as recruitment...
        Dallas City Council approves increased hiring goal for police...
    • Tech
      • Your website is your front desk
        Telegram investigations
        Florida sheriff’s office deploys cutting-edge forensic tool to...
        A new chapter for Utah law enforcement
        Is AI the future of report writing?
    • Training
      • Off duty, but never off guard
        Meeting training needs on a limited budget
        Be a thermostat, not a thermometer
        Duty knives: Practical or just “tacticool”
        Dry-fire practice doesn’t need to be boring
    • Policy
      • Michigan Supreme Court: Marijuana odor alone no longer justifies...
        Milwaukee P.D. and schools clash over SROs
        Seattle Police Department launches new plan to curb violent crime
        Buffer-zone law blocked in Louisiana
        Dakota’s Law: Pensions for police dogs?
    • Health/Wellness
      • Avoiding the road to burnout
        Texas sheriff’s office hit with series of suicides
        The tyranny of memories
        “Why are you mad at me?”
        Tired of being tired?
    • Community
      • San Diego Honors Fallen Officer Austin Machitar with Park Renaming
        Battle of the Badges baseball game to support injured Missouri officer
        Temple University Police celebrate 7-year-old’s support with...
        A local problem with a statewide solution
        From traffic stops to tip-offs: Iowa officer becomes basketball...
    • Offbeat
      • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
        Pizza … with a side of alligator?
        Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
        Only in California?
        Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
    • We Remember
      • Honoring Fallen Heroes
        What’s with the white chairs?
        The pain and sorrow of loss
        A cop and his car
        A dream of remembrance
    • HOT Mail
      • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • On the Job
    • No case too cold
      Summer is coming
      Securing the Texas border one K-9 team at a time
      Empowering through experience
      Philadelphia Amtrack officer’s quick actions saves conductor’s...
  • Labor
    • Insufficient police staffing continues throughout the U.S.
      The righteous battle
      Recruitment and retention
      Austin police chief aims to end officer shortage as recruitment...
      Dallas City Council approves increased hiring goal for police...
  • Tech
    • Your website is your front desk
      Telegram investigations
      Florida sheriff’s office deploys cutting-edge forensic tool to...
      A new chapter for Utah law enforcement
      Is AI the future of report writing?
  • Training
    • Off duty, but never off guard
      Meeting training needs on a limited budget
      Be a thermostat, not a thermometer
      Duty knives: Practical or just “tacticool”
      Dry-fire practice doesn’t need to be boring
  • Policy
    • Michigan Supreme Court: Marijuana odor alone no longer justifies...
      Milwaukee P.D. and schools clash over SROs
      Seattle Police Department launches new plan to curb violent crime
      Buffer-zone law blocked in Louisiana
      Dakota’s Law: Pensions for police dogs?
  • Health/Wellness
    • Avoiding the road to burnout
      Texas sheriff’s office hit with series of suicides
      The tyranny of memories
      “Why are you mad at me?”
      Tired of being tired?
  • Community
    • San Diego Honors Fallen Officer Austin Machitar with Park Renaming
      Battle of the Badges baseball game to support injured Missouri officer
      Temple University Police celebrate 7-year-old’s support with...
      A local problem with a statewide solution
      From traffic stops to tip-offs: Iowa officer becomes basketball...
  • Offbeat
    • Not eggzactly a perfect heist
      Pizza … with a side of alligator?
      Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
      Only in California?
      Durango, Colorado, police hop into action after unusual 9-1-1 call
  • We Remember
    • Honoring Fallen Heroes
      What’s with the white chairs?
      The pain and sorrow of loss
      A cop and his car
      A dream of remembrance
  • HOT Mail
    • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Search

On the Job

Chicago’s new police superintendent Larry Snelling aims to harness technology and restore trust amid challenges

APB Team Published November 13, 2023 @ 4:04 pm PST

Chicago P.D.

Larry Snelling, a Chicago native with over 30 years of experience in the Chicago Police Department (CPD), recently discussed the challenges facing the department and his future goals after assuming the role of superintendent in late September.

In an interview with WTTW News, the city’s top cop acknowledged the deep-rooted issues within the department, including community trust, court-mandated reforms and accountability.

“Everybody in Chicago is a stakeholder right now,” Snelling emphasized. “Nobody can sit on the sidelines. We need the support of others, we need the backing of others because I’m going to make sure we’re supporting everybody else in this city.”

One of Snelling’s primary challenges is rebuilding trust between the police and the community, a task made more complex by ongoing court-ordered reforms under the consent decree.

Indeed, a recent report from the independent monitoring team highlighted concerns raised by residents regarding alleged abuses of authority by officers during stops and searches.

In response, Snelling proposed additional training for officers to ensure stops are based on reasonable suspicion and probable cause.

“There has to be a level of accountability all the way up the chain,” he said, discussing the importance of training and leadership messaging.

Regarding the consent decree, Snelling expressed a cautious approach.

“We don’t want to just say that we’re in compliance, we want our officers to actually be in compliance. We don’t want to put our officers through training; we want our officers to be trained.”

Snelling also addressed the controversy surrounding the ShotSpotter technology, previously targeted for termination by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Snelling defended the system, asserting that it aids in responding to violent crimes and providing timely assistance to those in need.

“If we, as police officers, have the opportunity to get to a job immediately, even prior to a 9-1-1 call, it gives us the opportunity to get to that job and maybe, maybe apprehend someone who is shooting,” he said. “But bigger than that, if there’s someone who’s been shot, it gives us the opportunity to render live-saving aid if we get there ahead of time.”

Progressive city council members, on the contrary, argued that the system contributes to over policing of minority communities, and is largely ineffective at alerting officers to shootings, citing an audit by the city’s inspector general.

Ultimately, it is a “conversation” that must be had with the mayor, Snelling asserted.

The new superintended also acknowledged the high crime rates in the city, arguing for an “aggressive Constitutional policing” approach, while at the same time maintaining scrutiny on police conduct.

“I can’t worry about political climate. I understand political climate. But if that political climate forces me into allowing my officers’ response to be rendered ineffective, then I’m not doing my job,” the superintendent said.

Additionally, as the city faces a surge in migrants seeking shelter and an increase in certain crimes, Snelling said the department is looking to adopt a variety of technological solutions.

He went on to highlight the role of technologies like license plate readers and cross-district communication strategies to address crimes like car thefts and robberies, especially considering reform laws that could limit officers’ response.

For instance, while Snelling stated that officers would “have to weigh the risk to the public” before engaging in a pursuit, technologies such as helicopters could take over that responsibility instead.

“We see where these individuals go, and now we can deploy dispatch officers to that location to apprehend these individuals, which would save us a lot in civil litigation if we know that this person crashes into something or that pursuit leads to an accident that hurts a civilian or pedestrian,” Snelling added.

In addition, technology could also help the CPD cope with its loss in manpower in recent years.

According to department statistics, the CPD is down 1,500 officers from just a few years ago.

Despite these challenges, Snelling is determined to repair the relationship between the police and the community.

“If we don’t work together as a team … it’s going to be hard to get the city back on track,” he stressed. “We cannot be siloed. We have to start trusting each other. We have to start building these relationships and working together.”

In the coming months, Chicago residents will be watching closely to see if Snelling’s extensive experience and vision for collaboration can bring about positive change in the city’s law enforcement and community relations.

Categories: On the Job Tags: technology, ShotSpotter, superintendent, Larry Snelling, crime, trust, Chicago Police Department, staffing shortage, accountability, community

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Your website is your front desk
  • San Diego Honors Fallen Officer Austin Machitar with Park Renaming
  • Avoiding the road to burnout
  • National Police Week 2025
  • A look into National Police Week
  • Honoring Fallen Heroes
  • What’s with the white chairs?
  • The pain and sorrow of loss
  • A cop and his car
  • No case too cold

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

Off duty, but never off guard

Off duty, but never off guard

May 05, 2025

The tyranny of memories

The tyranny of memories

May 04, 2025

Meeting training needs on a limited budget

Meeting training needs on a limited budget

May 02, 2025

Empowering through experience

Empowering through experience

April 18, 2025

Policies | Consent Preferences | Copyright © 2025 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.