>> CHICAGO IS MEETING THE NEW TOP COP, 31 YEAR VETERAN , LARRY SNELLING , WILL LEAD THE POLICE FORCE AFTER CONFIRMATION BY CITY COUNCIL.

HE FACES A DELICATE BALANCE , DRESSING THE CRIME AND VIOLENCE THAT HAS PLAGUED CHICAGO WHILE CHANGING THE WAY THE DEPARTMENT TRAINS , AND SUPERVISES OFFICERS.

JOINING US ARE RETIRED CHICAGO POLICE SERGEANT RAMIREZ WHOSE BROTHER WAS KILLED IN 2021.

A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST.

ED A MANAGER FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

YOU WORKED ALONGSIDE LARRY SNELLING IN THE DEPARTMENT .

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THE APPOINTMENT?

AND WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD ?

>> WORKING WITH LARRY SNELLING , HE STARTED IN 1992 , I BELIEVE , I STARTED IN 1994.

WE WERE IN PASSING.

FROM MY OPPRESSION , GREAT GUY.

VERY APPROACHABLE.

WELL VERSED IN HIS CHOSEN PROFESSION.

>> REACTION FROM YOUR COLLEAGUES ?

>> VERY POSITIVE.

I LEFT THE DEPARTMENT A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

I STILL HAVE A CONNECTION THERE.

I HAVE NOTHING NEGATIVE .

I HOPE THAT EVERYTHING WORKS OUT GREAT.

I THINK THEY MADE A GREAT DECISION.

ONE THING THE MAYOR SAID WAS HE WANTS THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT POSITIONS.

>> JENNIFER, YOU HAVE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND WHAT MURDER INVESTIGATIONS LOOK LIKE AFTER YOUR BROTHER WAS SHOT AND KILLED WHEN DAVID BROWN WAS SUPERINTENDENT.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT INVESTIGATION?

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THIS NEW LEADERSHIP?

>> MY FAMILY AND I WERE GRATEFUL OF THEIR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK.

THE DETECTIVES IN AREA 5.

THEY DID EXCELLENT WORK .

THEY PREPARED ALL THE EVIDENCE.

THEY WORK DAY AND NIGHT.

THEY BROUGHT FORWARD EVIDENCE, WITNESSES , THEY PRESENTED IT TO THE STATE ATTORNEY.

THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE POLICE , IT IS THE STATE ATTORNEY, POLITICS.

WE HAVE LEADERS THAT ARE NOT DOING WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING.

WE HAVE LEADERS THAT NEED TO CHANGE BECAUSE, IF WE WANT TO SEE A CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND START FROM THERE.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF HAVING THESE HARD-WORKING LEADERS LIKE POLICE OFFICERS, DETECTIVES, THAT WORK ON THESE CRIMES DAY BY DAY , IF WE HAVE POLITICIANS THAT ARE NOT RESPECTING THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION?

>> WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ?

>> A CHANGE.

WE ARE ONE OF SO MANY FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN HURT.

THAT HAS LOST A LOVED ONE.

IT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO BE PART OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE LIKE THAT .

I WOULD EXPECT PEOPLE TO STEP UP AND BRING A CHANGE, NOT BE AFRAID .

OUR COMMUNITY TO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE POLICE WHO ARE PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING BEING DONE WRONG, DON'T BE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP.

>> YOU KNOW CRIME HAPPENS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

WHAT ROLE DO YOU SEE POLICE LEADERSHIP PLAYING IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY IN CHICAGO?

>> POLICE DO PLAY A ROLE IN PUBLIC SAFETY.

THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALSO PLAY A ROLE.

I BELIEVE THAT COLLABORATION WITH EACH OTHER CAN LEAD US TO HAVING A SAFER NEIGHBORHOOD.

WITH EVERYTHING GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH POLITICS , I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS COLLABORATION.

>> DO YOU THINK MORE COLLABORATION IS NEEDED BEFORE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT?

>> BETWEEN THE POLITICIANS , COMMUNITY LEADERS , WE NEED EVERY SINGLE RESOURCE POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDS ARE SAFE.

EVERYONE IS SAFE .

>> MICHELLE , YOU HAVE SAID THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE ENGAGEMENT IN YOUR COMMUNITY FROM POLICE LEADERSHIP.

GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.

>> WE HAVE GREAT OFFICERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THERE ARE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PARTNERS WITH POLICE OFFICERS BEING PRESENT.

MAKING THEMSELVES AVAILABLE.

THE STAKEHOLDERS.

CONTINUING THAT PARTNERSHIP .

WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE A SAFER CITY , A SAFER COMMUNITY.

WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GOALS.

WE ALL WANT TO FEEL SAFE.

WHAT BETTER WAY THAN TO ENGAGE RESIDENTS.

IF WE CAN COME TOGETHER , CREATE A COMMITTEE, OR SOMETHING , I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT.

>> WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO THE APPOINTMENT OF LARRY SNELLING ?

>> GOOD.

I WAS HAPPY -- HE IS FROM CHICAGO, INGLEWOOD , HE WENT TO CHICAGO SCHOOLS AND UNDERSTANDS THE MAKE AND FABRIC OF CHICAGO AND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO LIVE IN AN INNER-CITY AND THE MONEY CHALLENGES .

I WAS HAPPY WITH IT.

>> LARRY SNELLING TALKED ABOUT THE MAYOR DURING HIS PRESS CONFERENCE.

THIS IS SOMETHING OF WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

>> TO HAVE SOMEONE IN CITY HALL WILLING TO LISTEN, WILLING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR OFFICERS ARE DEALING WITH ON A DAILY BASIS, UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR OFFICERS ARE RUNNING INTO VIOLENT SITUATIONS AND RISKING THEIR LIVES.

IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE , A MAYOR , WHO SITS IN CITY HALL AND UNDERSTANDS THIS.

>> DO YOU THINK HE AND MAYOR JOHNSON WILL WORK WELL TOGETHER ?

>> I BELIEVE SO.

LARRY SNELLING IS A GREAT GUY FOR THE POSITION .

GREAT LEADERS , BOTH OF THEM.

I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THERE IS A NEW SURGE OF INTEREST , LEADERSHIP , WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY .

I HAVE OFTEN SAID THAT THE FUNDAMENTALS OF POLICING IS POLICE ARE THE PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE ARE POLICE.

IN THE 1830S, THAT'S WHAT THEY SUBSCRIBED TO.

I BELIEVE THAT.

MOST PEOPLE DO NOT SEE , AND MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES FOR YOUR LOSS, THE DETECTIVES , SUPERVISORS , OFFICERS SPEND DAY AND NIGHT TRYING TO PUT THIS MATTER TO REST AND ARREST PERPETRATORS OF THESE HORRIFIC CRIMES.

PEOPLE FEEL THAT.

THERE IS EMOTIONS.

WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS TO MAKE OUR CITY SAFE.

>> WHAT SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY OF LARRY SNELLING WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT?

>> ONE MAN CANNOT DO IT.

THE PRIORITY SHOULD BE TO GET THE RESOURCES , GET THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER , GET THE SMARTEST PEOPLE IN THE ROOM , AND START TALKING ABOUT A THINK TANK.

GETTING ALL OF THE INPUT WE CAN.

THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN WE TALK ABOUT ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE.

>> INITIALLY , YOU SAID , YOU EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH THE COOK COUNTY STATES ATTORNEY AND NOT PRESSING CHARGES.

DO YOU THINK NEW LEADERSHIP CAN IMPROVE HOW POLICE AND PROSECUTORS WORK TOGETHER ?

>> OF COURSE .

THAT IS WHERE THE PROBLEM STARTS, WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN CHARGE FOR THE CORRECT LEADERSHIP AT HAND.

THERE IS A BUNCH OF US IN THE COMMUNITY BEING AFFECTED BY ALL OF THESE CRIMES AND NOBODY IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

IT FEELS LIKE YOU ARE BEING SELECTED AND WE HAVE OUR KIDS , IF WE DON'T CHANGE THE LEADERS, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE A CHANGE?

WHEN ARE THESE CRIMES GOING TO STOP?

WHEN ARE THE GUNS GOING TO BE PUT DOWN?

>> YOU MENTIONED THAT WANTING TO SEE CHANGES , HOW POLICE HANDLE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

>> MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

I DO BELIEVE THAT CERTAIN THINGS THAT POLICE WEAR CAN TRIGGER PEOPLE HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.

THEY NEED A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL INSTEAD OF SOMEONE WITH A BADGE AND A GUN.

>> MICHELLE , VERY QUICKLY AS WE ARE SHORT ON TIME , WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION ?

>> ENGAGEMENT.

ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION.

HAVING POLICE OFFICERS BE APPROACHABLE AND COMMUNITY RESIDENTS NOT SCARED TO SPEAK WITH POLICE OFFICERS.

ENGAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION.

>> THAT IS THE COMMON DENOMINATOR BETWEEN EVERYONE .