Chico Reissues Promise to Dump Weis

One of Chicago’s major mayoral candidates reissued a promise on Friday that if elected, Jody Weis will not be retained as Chicago’s police superintendent.

Gery Chico issued the statement Friday morning in response to the sit-down interview that Weis gave to NBC Chicago a day earlier. In that interview, Weis said he’d accomplished what he was brought to Chicago to do and said his record stacks up to any superintendent in the city’s history.

Weis pointed to Chicago’s murder rate, which is on track this year — with 433 homicides as of Thursday — to dip to its lowest mark since 1965, when there were 395 homicides.

But despite those statistics, Chico said “the reality is that police morale is at an all-time low.” He said that as mayor, his superintendent would come from within the current ranks.

Weis: We’ve Made Great Strides in the Last Year

“We have plenty of qualified men and women who are ready to lead, many whom I have gotten to know and work with throughout the years. As mayor, I look forward to working with them again,” said Chico.

In a follow-up statement issued Friday to NBC Chicago, Weis said that those questioning the department’s morale are challenging an officer’s dedication to serve and protect.

“After serving in Houston, Washington, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Philadelphia I can say – with some level of credibility – that the men and women of the Chicago Police Department are some of the most dedicated members of any law enforcement agency in the country,” said Weis.

Candidates Danny Davis and Miguel del Valle have reportedly said they haven’t made a decision yet as to whether they would retain Weis past his March 1 contract expiration.

A spokesman for Rahm Emanuel told NBC Chicago that it’s likely Emanuel would replace Weis. During a press event on Wednesday, Carol Moseley Braun made it clear that Weis will be out of a job if she’s elected.

Weis said he has yet to have a conversation about his department with any of the candidates.

Chico this week picked up the support of the Latin American Police Association.