Report: Hillard Making Changes At Police Department

CHICAGO (CBS/WBBM) -- Even though he is only holding the job for a few months, interim police Supt. Terry Hillard is looking to make some changes.

Quoting unnamed sources, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday that Hillard wants to put more officers on beat patrol. He says he may take 100 officers from the Mobile Strike Force and put them back on the streets.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports

This is despite Hillard's statement took over the Police Department earlier this month that he would not make any major changes.

"You know, my job is just to get here and make sure they continue doing the things that they're doing. There's not going to be any major changes," Hillard said on March 2. "Crime is down, and let's hope it continues to go down."

But Hillard also expressed disappointment with Weis and his policies, particularly with regard to the Patrol Division.

Hillard has also changed the chain of command structure back to pre-Weis days, the Sun-Times reported.

Weis left office at the beginning of the month, as his contract expired. The FBI veteran was unpopular with the rank-and-file, who blamed him for a drop in morale.

Hillard, who also served as police superintendent from 1998 to 2003, came out of retirement to take over the job again on an interim basis. He says he will retire again when Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel selects a new superintendent after taking office in May.

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• Terry Hillard
• Bernie Tafoya
• Chicago Police Department