Chicago Police Supt. David Brown is resigning his post one day after the city's mayoral primary election in which crime was a central issue.
Brown was appointed to the role in April 2020 and will step down on March 16, seven months before he turns 63, the mandatory retirement age for Chicago police officers.
His next stop: Texas.
“I’ve accepted a job opportunity to be the Chief Operating Officer of Loncar Lyon Jenkins, a personal injury law firm with seven offices in Texas,” Brown’s announcement said. “I will be stepping down as Chicago Police Superintendent effective March 16, 2023, so the incoming mayor can begin the process as soon as possible to hire the next superintendent.”
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“It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside the brave men and women of the Chicago Police Department," the announcement said. “I will continue to pray that all officers return home to their families safe at the end of their shift. May the good Lord bless the city of Chicago and the men and women who serve and protect this great city.”
DAVID BROWN'S RETURN TO TEXAS
Brown retired from the Dallas Police Department in 2016 after serving as the chief of police for six years. He spent more than three decades with the Dallas Police Department, first joining in 1983 because of the crack cocaine epidemic's impact on his neighborhood in Oak Cliff.
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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's leadership during the July 2016 downtown Dallas police ambush that left five officers dead and his decision to use a bomb attached to a robot to take down the lone gunman gained nationwide praise.
Brown retired in 2016 and was replaced a year later by Renee Hall, who left the department at the end of 2020. Eddie Garcia was appointed chief in 2021. After his retirement, Brown worked as a network news contributor.
Brown will turn 63 on Oct. 22.
CHICAGO CRIME THE FOCUS OF MAYORAL ELECTION
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who did not advance to next month's mayoral runoff election, issued a statement commending Brown for setting a record number of recoveries of illegal guns for two consecutive years, leading to a double-digit reduction in violent crime in 2022, “significantly expanding the resources for officer wellness; and promoting more women to the senior exempt ranks than ever before in the history of the department.”
“I personally want to thank him for his service to our city,” Lightfoot's statement said.
Lightfoot named Brown, a former Dallas police chief, to be Chicago's police superintendent on April 2, 2020.
Public safety dominated the mayoral election, in which Lightfoot lost her bid for a second term. All of Lightfoot’s eight rivals said they would fire Brown and replace him with someone else. That included the two candidates who advanced to the April 4 runoff, Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson.
Lightfoot has defended Brown, saying the city needed an outsider to lead the department after years of problems and a federal consent decree ordering the CPD to make changes. She also argued that after crime spiked during the pandemic, the city was making progress in reducing homicides and some other crimes. Her rivals said it wasn’t enough.
