Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson argued to keep his job, which pays $260,044 a year, after the retirement of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
And Johnson admitted some officers “look the other way” when it comes to reporting police misconduct, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The reason it’s so difficult to change police cultures is because the leadership changes so often,” Johnson said.
“Every three years you have to start over again.
“It’s gonna take, like, five to seven years to change a culture, a mentality. I don’t want to stay here seven years. But in two more years, we’ll be in a solid place.”
Johnson stated the Chicago Police Department started the process of implementing a consent decree watched by a federal monitor.
“It’s important that the leadership believes in it, which I do and the command staff does. I don’t know if the next person will be as vested as I am,” he said.
“It’s about this city, and it’s about the police department. I honestly, with every bone in my body, want to see this police department looked at in a more positive light in certain areas of this city,” he said.
Code of Silence Regarding Police Misconduct
On April 12, Johnson admitted for the first time confirming a code of silence among some officers in the department, though he was reluctant to use that exact terminology.
“Do I think there might be officers that look the other way? Yeah, I do,” he said.
“There are a lot of reasons why cops might not report misconduct. If they see their partner engage in misconduct, they may look the other way.
“Do I think there are issues in that regard?,” he asked rhetorically.
“Yeah…. But I’ m not going to indict the entire department for the acts of certain individuals. If I’m made aware of it, I deal with it.”
Only the future shall tell.
