>> After nearly 3 years as Chicago's top cop Superintendent Larry Snellings time leading the country's second largest police department is now over.

The South side native is leaving his position with a mostly controversy.

Freeh tenure still his legacy has some mixed reviews.

Well, the city saw historic drop in violent crime last year.

There's still concern over the progress of the consent decree as well as CPS involvement with federal immigration agents.

Joining us to talk more about snellings leadership and to look ahead are John Escalante who spent more than 30 years with the Chicago Police Department and served as interim superintendent from December 2015 to March 2016 Archie's Thomas deputy director of Live Free, Illinois, a nonprofit dedicated to reforming public safety and the criminal justice system.

Don McGill, who represents the 7th police district on the community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability and Baltasar and wreak as president of the Little Village Community Council.

Thank you all for being here.

We appreciate your time.

Dan, if I could start with you, please, you know, is that police district councilor you've met with the superintendent several times before to extensively with the department under his leadership.

How would you rate his tenure?

You know what?

I don't think it's my job to rate his tenure.

I think he came into an extremely difficult job.

>> I think we have to give credit where credit is due sickly.

We're seeing kind of like it's the safest period of time in Chicago that we see none recent memory, but also I think other his tenure, the progress of the cause under the consent decree, my opinion, the means of many were slow.

I think we kind of have to weigh those things out.

Rank good and bad.

Yeah.

I want to come back to the consent decree.

you know, John Escalante, what was your take on Superintendent Snellings time?

>> I think superintendents that superintendent we did a very good job.

I when I left the department, he was actually a certain.

So he had a quick rise through the ranks.

After I had left, I knew him didn't know him well.

But Newman as his time as a sergeant.

From his time in the training academy headquarters.

He was always very squared away.

I was very sharp and I during the time that he was a Super 10, I think he did a very good job, difficult position to be but I think he did the best he could.

Well.

to that point, I think a lot of folks, you know, they they know that the superintendent leads the department, but >> maybe don't necessarily know what all that the roles and responsibilities are.

What's what's the day-to-day like for a police superintendent Chicago?

>> So its mix, but the superintendent, obviously he is the face of the apartment.

He's the face and the voice of the department and the superintendent has to rely on that top command staff.

The first deputy and the bureau chiefs to really run the day-to-day parts of the operation of daily operations on the superintendent.

He's out there.

He has to be out in the community has to be meeting with the different community groups being at City Hall meeting with the mayor meeting with politicians going down state down to Springfield, taking those trips when he has to to DC he is the face of apartment who has the final authority on any decision but concerns department.

But he has to rely on first deputy in the bureau chiefs to do the day-to-day stuff.

>> You know, our 2 news, Thomas, you and your colleagues at live free work in collaboration with Chicago police.

You know, a lot community police relations involved there.

Did you see those, you know, and improving under superintendents, knowing what was your take on on his time leading the Absolutely.

So live Free, Illinois.

We are leading the charge.

And when it comes to bell ringing around clearance rates and 2024, we had over 150 community conversations specifically around that.

>> Where we came up with some collective recommendations and with recommendations, we did see some of them come into fruition.

Superintendent Snelling has been in this position to some positive momentum on the priorities organization buffs are Henry cause of what's your take on Superintendent Snellings time leading the department.

>> Are you know, superintendents was very unique.

pair to other superintendents.

But makes is the way that things were done.

He stop investigation of misconduct of police officers continue.

Stopping the community for knowing from getting the truth when it was calm that happen.

So the community also saw that we're wasting millions of dollars when it comes to the misconduct.

Both officers that we as taxpayers have to pay.

So it cost of millions of dollars that we could use CPS that suffering, during Midway Blitz, we saw liberation of CPD working with arms of something that is not problem to not You'll hear in no one.

We interfere or or or MP what we did was alert the community because these individuals were not going after criminals.

They're going after street vendors, landscapers roofers, the father taking his kids to school.

So that's what they were going after innocent people.

And we seen just in the past weeks of the U.S.

estimated people.

So you know what's wrong is wrong.

So when police department is defending wrong, they're on the wrong side of the fence.

They should be with because that's their job to protect the community.

And what we've some seem during weight bench.

And it was very, very confusing to see that they would be even though police report when there was and incident with eyes.

And that's why we couldn't get special prosecutor because there was no reports, though, it so we'll see, be collaborating and or covering up for them.

And was really the reason that we didn't see it in been a great job.

>> And I do want to come back to the issue of immigration enforcement.

But before we get there, you know, John, it's going to win us.

Knowing took over the police department had fully complied with 6% of the consent decree.

That's the federal court order designed to reform the department.

It's now at 25% full compliance review.

The progress that the department's made.

Well, if you remember the Department of Justice actually alive during my time as the interim superintendent and we were letting people know back then that.

>> The agreement that the city would entering with the Department of Justice was not going to happen overnight.

If you look at all the other major cities that have gone through a consent decree, it's 8, 9, 10 year process.

I mean, it's its unfortunate that it takes that long.

But when you look at city of Chicago, the police department, 12,000 sworn officers who work 24 7, 3, 65 trainings.

That may vary from a one-day training to a week or more.

It's hard to stay on track.

It's hard to stay schedule.

It's not that they don't want to.

It is a real challenge to keep on track and so 25%.

I'm not surprise.

That's where the department is right going use to express some frustration at the at the pace of reform.

But >> you know, what's your reaction to that?

That Chicago is is somewhat in line with other cities that have been under a consent decree?

Well, I did.

I know there was a large jump from 7% to 25% we've seen.

But initially we're seeing like a one percent per year progress.

>> That makes no sense to me in community.

talking to community members.

It makes no sense to them.

And we have to remember like the consent decree is the floor.

We're not talking like we're going to be the epitome of the best police department in the in the nation.

This is like the ground floor for how you should be operating.

And so if you're having like 10, 12, 15 years to reach the ground floor like that.

Just seems odd to me.

And I think one of the issues with the process is the transparency of it and the communications like a lot of people don't even know were under consent decree or even what that means.

And that's problematic as well.

Oh, yeah.

Archie's.

I mean, didn't mention sort of that.

The community aspect of this.

How important is the consent decree to?

>> To the folks in the community that you work with.

>> Our communities are very concerned about the progress on the consent decree.

Oftentimes we are hosting listening Sessions town halls teach ins when it comes to police accountability, working clearance rates, right work overall and they asked, well, what's up with that?

Where at with that?

How do we know when we're when we've won?

And so there are tons of conversation where folks are wondering what's going on live Free.

Illinois has our clearance rates.

Strategy team has worked alongside are with impact for equity.

Who is helping committee members make sure that their understanding with the consent decree means what how it impacts to communities as well.

>> certainly cause you mentioned, you know, the disagreements that you had with the department during that the midway blitz, immigration enforcement, you know, some advocates say that in immigration arrests are up again in the Chicago area.

You know, briefly, what you hope to see from CPD under the interim Superintendent Waller in and the next permanent superintendent.

>> What we look like to see the police department to because there's no relationship between the community and the police department at all.

And we've seen here in a little village, people are not calling 9-1-1 anymore because they're afraid that if they do call it, they might get arrested, miedo or even rate.

We saw 2 of serving a bad day and he got killed So what we would love to see.

Also it.

>> There is immigration raids and they see, you know, ages.

Killing people, if they are killing people.

Not because Perry R danger because they're just trigger happy.

So we have seen that happened many times in a lot of agents are proud boys, races, individuals that are now part of >> ICE.

we have also seen that they're within the CBD and we to investigate those individuals.

If they're still part of CVB.

So we would love to see more transparency.

And I would love to see also a superintendent.

They couldn't walk the streets coach of the neighborhoods that right.

Alright, prime what we've built a re a ship between the police department and the community where we can say I can trust calling 9-1-1 because meant a great neighborhood of comfort.

They build it.

>> like the Vizio program, which is a great program that we have here.

We should see that the SEAL program bureau because they're more about community.

They don't come in full uniform.

And, you know, it's easy to talk to the seal because >> they're more community-based initial program.

The UIC started and stood front the oceans program, rubble.

>> A different relationship.

before we run out of time.

You know, Dan Magill, the you know, has has a role you know, coming up with with candidates for the mayor to choose from.

What are you hoping to see from the city's next superintendent?

>> that's easy.

I want to see someone who has or open door policy specifics specifically with the district councils.

I know going to had a great relationship to Ccps 8, but with the other like hyper local district councils, I had you know, 3 for conversations with him over the past 3 years about to see more of that.

I would like to see a superintendent who is excited finding U.S.

100% and the consent decree compliance and also someone who has a better relationship with Copa.

Then what I felt Superintendent just briefly about 15 seconds.

John is going to.

>> I it's gonna be interesting to see who applies their strong internal candidates.

It's going to be interesting to see who applies externally.

I am concerned right before the election that may impact people's minds about whether they want to apply for a job that they might get in a few months after they get into the position.

The next mayor says, I want my OK, I Thomas.

Just a few words on this play.

last thoughts I think we're looking for someone with accessible were also wanting someone who knows that we can not only police our way out of this issue.

How do we work alongside city agencies, community organizations?

>> And make sure that everyone at the table can be heard when it comes to everyone's public safety.

All right.

We appreciate your time.

But that's all the time that we have for this our tummies Thomas Dion McGill and Baltasar Henry Cause.

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And we should know we have an invitation out to former Superintendent Larry Snelling and open invitation to join us on this program.

Up next, a tour inside a west side jam.