Dana Starks, longtime Chicago Police official and interim superintendent, dies at 74
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A funeral is scheduled this week for former veteran Chicago Police official and interim superintendent Dana V. Starks.
Starks died on Monday of last week. He was 74.
Starks joined the Chicago Police Department as a patrolman in 1977, and worked his way up through the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, commander, and deputy chief.
As commander of the Harrison (11th) District on the city's West Side, Starks came together with community and faith groups to set up the city's first Cease Fire Zone—which was to credit for a 67% drop in shootings in the district within 10 months, Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) wrote in a resolution.
Starks was promoted to first deputy superintendent in October 2003, serving as second in command to Supt. Phil Cline. When Cline resigned in April 2007, Starks took over as interim CPD superintendent until Mayor Richard M. Daley named Jody Weis to the position on a permanent basis.
When Weis took over, Mayor Daley appointed Starks as chairman of the city's Commission on Human Relations—a position in which he served until 2011.
Visitation for Starks is set for Tuesday, followed by a funeral service on Wednesday.