Chicago is the third most populous city of the United States, belonging to the state Illinois. CPD or the Chicago Police Department is the major law enforcement agency of Chicago and is headed by the Superintendent of Police. CPD is the second largest law enforcement agency of the United States, first being the New York City Police Department. In this particular article, we will describe in detail about the Chicago Police Hierarchy. We will discuss about all the levels of the department and their relevant job roles. Each and every level in a police hierarchy is important and it contributes to the strength of the whole police department.
We have already said that the Superintendent of Police leads the Chicago Police Department. The Superintendent manages six bureaus of the department and each bureau is commanded by a Bureau Chief. The Superintendent manages all the bureaus with the assistance of the First Deputy Superintendent. Hereby, we will now discuss the six bureaus of the Chicago Police Hierarchy and their roles and responsibilities:
Superintendent’s Office: This department is led by the Superintendent of police, which in turn is appointed by the Mayor of the city. The major responsibilities of this bureau are:
- Implementing the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy.
- Facilitating the law enforcement services to the senior citizen community.
- Addressing various legal and legislative matters.
- Continuously improving the response of the department to the domestic violence.
- Planning the police coverage at the public gatherings.
Bureau of Patrol: The Bureau of Patrol is responsible for:
- Enforcement of municipal and state traffic laws.
- Maintaining custody of arrestees held in the central lockup.
- Providing marine and mounted patrols and air support.
- Providing ready force to respond to the emergency situations.
Bureau of Detectives: The detective division of the Chicago Police Hierarchy is responsible for:
- Follow-up investigation of crime.
- Processing of juvenile offenders.
- Collection and processing of forensic evidence.
- Investigation of felonies, missing and deceased persons.
Bureau of Administration: The Bureau of Administration is responsible for:
- Directing the activities related to budget and fiscal control.
- Collection of relevant departmental data and management of records.
- Managing the operations of finance division and human resource division.
- Managing the Facilities management unit and the general support division.
Bureau of Organized Crime: The Bureau of Organized Crime is responsible for:
- Handling of narcotic cases.
- Handling of illegal gang activities.
Bureau of Organizational Development: This unit is responsible for:
- Analysis and reporting of criminal justice.
- Conducting system analysis and program development.
- Managing the strategic operational planning activities.
There are 25 police districts in the area of Chicago and these districts are led & administered by a commander. The commanders of each specific police district are required to report to the Deputy Chief of that area, who in turn reports to the Deputy Superintendent of Patrol. The Superintendent of Patrol finally reports to the Superintendent of Police.
Now that we have discussed the whole Chicago Police Hierarchy, here is a list of the job titles of the officers staring from the higher grade to the lower grade:
- Superintendent
- First Deputy Superintendent
- Chief
- Deputy Chief
- Commander
- Captain
- Lieutenant
- Sergeant
- Field Training Officer
- Police Officer assigned as Detective
- Police Officer
This is all about the organization of Chicago Police Department.
To know more about Chicago Political Hierarchy click Here