Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown called it quits just hours after Lori Lightfoot lost her reelection bid for mayor.
According to The Associated Press, all eight of Lightfoot’s challengers said that they would fire Brown if they won the mayor’s job–including Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson, who remain in the race.
“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.”
“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.”
John Lausch Jr., who served as head of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago, is also resigning. According to USA Today, Lausch’s last day is March 11. Lausch was appointed by former President Donald Trump and supervised the review of President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents.
Lightfoot praised Brown for serving Chicago, and for leading the reduction in violent crime in 2022, standing up a full-time recruitment team that yielded over 950 new hires, expanding resources for officer wellness, and promoting more women to senior ranks.
“I personally want to thank him for his service to our city,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot was the first African American woman and the first openly gay person to serve as Chicago’s mayor. She served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, where she worked on a wide-range of federal cases. She was later appointed by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley to several positions in city government.
