Minority Report

By: Frances MoffettThe news:

The Chicago City Council confirmed the appointment of former FBI agent Jody Weis as the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department in January. Weis replaced Philip Cline, who retired last year amid a storm of scandal involving off-duty police officers. Both Weis and Cline are white.

Behind the news:

Of 13 cities with a population exceeding 750,000, Chicago, New York and San Jose were the only cities that have had white males as the current and preceding heads of a police department. According to Census 2000, the African-American population in Chicago and New York stood at 36 percent and 24 percent, respectively, while San Jose had a black population of 3 percent.

By comparison, the six other cities with an African- American population of at least 25 percent had at least one black chief of police, either currently or previously.

In Detroit, Philadelphia and Houston, where African Americans accounted for 81 percent, 43 percent and 25 percent of the population, respectively, both the current and preceding heads of the police department have been black.

In Jacksonville, Fla., and Dallas, the immediate-past head of the police department was black, as is Indianapolis’ current top police official. The black population was 29 percent in Jacksonville, 26 percent in Dallas and 25 percent in Indianapolis.

With the appointment of Weis, some Chicago community leaders are unsure if a white superintendent will be able to restore minorities’ trust in the police department.

The Rev. Steve Greer, pastor of Christian Valley Baptist Church in the North Lawndale neighborhood, said Weis has a tough job in building a better relationship with the black community.

“If he does not do that, it will be very difficult for us to trust the police department,” said Greer, who is active in police accountability issues. “And it has to be ongoing. We don’t want to meet with his deputies and lieutenants; we want him.”

Greer added that Weis should appoint an African American as second in command, and his fellow community activists agreed. The Rev. Robin Hood, pastor of Redeemed Outreach Ministries in the South Side’s Englewood neighborhood, said that an African American in that position would help regain the community’s confidence in the department.

Though Greer said he had hoped that a person of color would be the superintendent, he and Hood said that, as long as Weis listens to the community, he will be on track toward bridging the gap between the people and the police.

“Weis has to be his own man and have the leverage to do that,” Hood said. “If he reaches out, he’ll begin to get some place. If he leaves the community out and doesn’t remove the distrust, we’re still in the same boat; it’s just with a new face in that spot.”