Search for Chicago's next top cop nears conclusion

CHICAGO - In just 52 days, three candidates will be handed over to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson as potentials for the city's next top cop.

On Tuesday, City Club of Chicago hosted a community policing panel as the search for the next top cop continues. 

The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability received 53 applications for the job, including applications from seven police chiefs of major cities. 

After a series of candidate interviews and background checks, the group has until July 14 to present a list of their top three candidates to Johnson.

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Johnson will make the final decision, electing from the list or starting the process completely over.

As CPD rebuilds, the focus for the next superintendent has been community building and restoring morale. 

"We have to have someone who is willing and ready to lead by example. If we're asking officers to get out of their cars, to come into the community, to sit and listen actively to community residents, to work with district council members, we need to see leadership that is willing to do the same and that starts at the top, so a superintendent that is really ready to get in there and work side by side with the officers that they lead to impact the communities that they serve," said Mecole Jordan-McBride, Advocacy Director of the Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative. 

Mayor Johnson has consistently said he will pick an insider to help increase morale to help stop the mass exodus of officers.