Challenges for Larry Snelling to be confirmed as CPD's Police Superintendent
CHICAGO (CBS) --Chicago City Council is meeting to confirm Larry Snelling as Chicago's next police superintendent.
Amid that vote, Chicagoans are asking for better protection due to a continuing rash of armed robberies.
CBS 2's Mugo Odigwe explains it's essentially the final step before Chief Snelling takes over as police superintendent.
The challenges he faces are already growing. On Wednesday, the focus is the confirmation vote, which is the only thing on the council's agenda.
Snelling is currently CPD's counterterrorism chief and he's been with the police department since 1992, starting out as a patrol officer in Englewood and then as a sergeant in Morgan Park.
He'll have a lot to answer when he's confirmed, including from people who live in Lincoln Park and other neighboring North Side communities.
They want Chicago police to do more about the ongoing sprees of armed robberies. There have been 300 robberies in the 18th district this year to date, according to data from CPD.
That includes most of Lincoln Park, Old Town, Gold Coast, Streeterville, and the Mag Mile.
"It's one of the scariest kinds of crimes that citizens experience no matter where they live, being held up at gunpoint," said Larry Sachs of the Lincoln Central Association.
Police said they are using helicopters, bicycles, license plate readers, and specialized teams of officers to try and fight back.
"They will steal a car use it to commit a robbery, and get another one the next day. It's like whack-a-mole. It's cat and mouse," said CPD Captain David Koenig, 18th District.
"It's a trend going on now and we are definitely addressing it proactively," said CPD Commander Rodney Hill of Police Area 3.