Jan 7, 2008 6:21 pm US/Central
Top Cop Nominee Answers City Council's Questions
Jody Weis Is First Non-Chicagoan To Be Up For Police Superintendent Since 1960s
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Jody Weis, Mayor Daley's nominee for Chicago's new police superintendent, answered aldermen's questions during a confirmation hearing Jan. 7, 2008.
CBS
The man Mayor Richard M. Daley wants to run the Chicago Police Department on Monday fielded questions on some hot button issues during a city council hearing.
As CBS 2's Mike Parker reports, the candidate came with a pledge to get rid of rogue cops.
Jody Weis is the FBI agent picked by Daley to become the first outsider to head the CPD since the 1960s. He went before the aldermen who will on Wednesday vote on his confirmation, and made what sounded like a campaign speech, promising change in the police department.
"I want to make Chicago even safer," Weis said. "I want to institute policies that help prevent misconduct in the department whenever and wherever it occurs."
Weis was referring to incidents like the barroom beating of a female bartender by an off-duty Chicago police officer, and allegations of on-duty brutality. Weis pledged 10 different times to end such behavior.
"I am also committed to removing any police officer who violates the public trust and abuses their law enforcement authority," Weis said.
He also promised to install more police cameras in the neighborhoods, to get more guns off the streets, and to place a new emphasis on hate crimes and domestic violence.
Will his new first deputy be a minority, as some in the inner city are hoping? Maybe, but maybe not.
"Right now its too soon to tell," Weis said. "The first deputy position is a critical position and all I've had the benefit of looking at so far are resumes. Resumes don't tell the whole story. I need to sit down and talk to the person, look at their character."
Weis, who has never been a police officer, admits he comes to the job with what he called "a certain degree of apprehension. This," he said "is not going to be an easy job."
That sounds like an understatement.
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