Larry Snelling to prioritize officer wellness as Chicago's next top cop

"In order for our officers to love someone else, we have to love them."

Those were among the first comments made during Monday's press conference at City Hall by Chicago Police Chief Larry Snelling, the man tapped to become the city’s next Superintendent.

The mental well-being of police officers in a department he has called his own for nearly three decades is paramount among his priorities, should his nomination be certified by City Council in a vote scheduled for next month.

"We need to make sure that we have the best trained and the most well-officers well-taken care of officers when we put them out in the community because when these officers feel good about themselves, they feel good about their department when they feel good about the job that they're doing they'll feel good and great with the community," Snelling emphasized.

Mayor Johnson was effusive in his praise of Snelling, who most recently has served as head of the Bureau of Counterintelligence.

"Whether you’re being raised in Englewood or Austin, Roseland or Lincoln Park or Morgan Park, wherever you are in the city of Chicago, Chief Snelling has a story that reflects the hopes and aspirations of the people of Chicago," Johnson said.

A Chicago native, Snelling was widely considered a slam dunk by the committee charged with finding the most qualified candidates for the job.

Snelling made the final cut in part because he’s well-liked within the ranks of the Chicago Police Department, but also because he came well-prepared.

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FOX 32 spoke with Anthony Driver, President of the County Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, about Snelling’s rise to the top of their list.

"We created a laundry list of questions that were taken from the community, taken from residents, taken from law enforcement experts around the country and Chief Snelling knocked every question asked out of the park," said Driver.

As for Snelling, he maintains an understanding of the challenges that await the next Top Cop; from where to house the influx of migrants currently taking up residence at Chicago police stations to the ongoing violence plaguing the city.

"We cannot do this alone as a police department. Every member of this city has to be a stakeholder, and I am willing to sit down and have a conversation with any and everybody within this city to work together to resolve some of the issues that we have and make this city as safe as we can possibly make it," Snelling said.

Next up for the mayor’s candidate: a public forum to be held in early September followed by a full vote of Chicago’s City Council.