Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has demanded the resignation of Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy:
(CNN)Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday that he has asked for the resignation of Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy.
The announcement at a news conference came amid angry protests in Chicago over the way the city responded when a white police officer shot a black teenager 16 times in October 2014. Dashboard camera footage of Laquan McDonald’s killing was not released until last week after a judge ordered it be made public.
“Superintendent McCarthy knows that a police officer is only as effective as when he has the trust of those he serves,” said Emanuel, speaking at City Hall.
or, said more bluntly, he fired him. The mayor has also taken the time-hallowed first step in burying the issue of the police execution of Laquan McDonald and the foot-dragging on the part of the CPD: he’s announced the formation of a blue-ribbon panel to investigate the matter:
He went on to describe a new task force on law enforcement accountability that will review how the city trains and oversees its police officers. It will include five Chicagoans who have been leaders in the justice system. Chicago native and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will be a senior adviser to the group, Emanuel said.
Note well: when confronted with a management crisis—which this clearly is—a strong manager actually interested in solving the problem does not turn it over to a blue-ribbon commission. That’s what weak managers who are just trying to get the whole thing to go away do. We’ll see.
Dave Schuler from a previous comment today: BTW, my bet is that Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez will be the next domino to fall. There’s a long list of high-ranking Democrats including Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle already calling for her resignation.
Is it safe to assume that McCarthy and Alvarez aren’t long-time members of the machine? I see McCarthy came from elsewhere, while Alvarez is a native. Is she going to go from one sinecure to another, or will she be out in the cold?
McCarthy is an appointee. No local political connections that I know of.
Anita Alvarez has been working in the Cook County States Attorney’s office for the last 30 years in one capacity or another, sort of rising through the ranks. To the best of my ability to determine she’s not particularly well-connected politically. She prevailed narrowly against a large field of primary competitors in her first bid for States Attorney in 2008. She’s done well in general elections but Chicago being Chicago that doesn’t tell you anything.
I would characterize both as technocrat types rather than machine politicians.
“Note well: when confronted with a management crisis which this clearly is a strong manager actually interested in solving the panel does not turn it over to a blue-ribbon commission.”
Absolutely correct. In fact, they demand to be intimately involved.
How long until Rahm or his henchmen tell us he heard the news on CNN while leading from behind?
Note to self. Cancel that committee idea.
Steve
Jeez, Dave, you’re getting a panel, what the hell do you want? Panels solve everything. Especially if they’re ‘blue ribbon.’ Those are your very best panels.
You sure it’s not time to find a nice cabin near a white sand beach? You know, there are places where the climate doesn’t try to kill you half the year.