Top Cop David Brown rejects criticism of his leadership: We have a job to do | Chicago News

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Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown addresses the city’s violent holiday weekend July 6, 2021. (WTTW News)

On Friday, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown dismissed criticism of his leadership from some of the department’s top brass, saying those upset were attacking Brown’s work to implement the consent decree reforms.

Speaking for the first time since the Chicago Sun-Times reported that several police supervisors had lost faith in his leadership, Brown acknowledged that while there may be disgruntled people in his department, those people are probably upset because of his work to change the culture of the CPD.

There are probably people here who liked the way things were and who will push back and use the media, become sources to create a lot of dysfunction, Brown said. Were going to push back, were going to be the adults in the room.

Earlier this week, the Sun-Times cited four police supervisors who had lost faith in Brown’s leadership, with one going so far as to say Brown had no strategy and didn’t know what to do. ‘it was.

His strategies and efforts (and) threats from command personnel show a lack of leadership, a supervisor told the Sun-Times. I can’t think of a single staff member who is willing to support him.

Supervisors said they believe Brown, who has served as superintendent since April 2020, is unfit to lead the department after a year in which Chicago saw its highest number of murders since the 1990s. They also raised concerns after Brown threatened to demote CPD leaders if they failed to increase arrests and repeatedly reorganized officers and teams under his watch, according to the Sun-Times.

A supervisor told the Sun-Times that Brown drives the CPD into the ground.

Although they did not mention the consent decree, the court-ordered reform package that the CPD is implementing Brown called criticism of supervisors sour grapes from officers who don’t want to change.

You didn’t ask them if they were for the consent decree, Brown told a reporter who asked him Friday about the Sun-Times report. If you asked them that question, those sources are probably not fans of the consent decree or the changes.

The supervisors spoke to the Sun-Times on condition of anonymity, and their criticisms angered Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who called them cowards who want to return to the old ways that served them, but didn’t serve the people.

If you’re not ready to do your job, if you’re not ready to get out of your car and engage with members of the public, if you’re not ready to make sure you’re accountable for the work that you do every day, every shift, then you don’t have to be in the Chicago Police Department, Lightfoot told reporters in a Zoom call Thursday during his trip to Washington D.C. We Need of an army of volunteers. We need men and women who understand when they are (are) going to stand up and lead by example and hold themselves and others accountable.

Brown said he took the criticism with a grain of salt and said he was encouraged that Lightfoot, who appointed him to his current position, sees it the same way.

We have a job to do, he said. Were going to reform this department; change the culture and were going to protect the people of Chicago while we did it.

Heather Cherone contributed to this report.

Contact Matt Masterson:@ByMattMasterson |[email protected]| (773) 509-5431

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