`Tough Cop’ – New Chief Declares War on Drugs, Street Gangs

Mayor Washington named as the city’s new police superintendent Saturday a “tough cop,” Leroy Martin, who immediately targeted street gangs and drugs.

As revealed by the Chicago Sun-Times, the mayor picked Martin to replace retiring Supt. Fred Rice. He was named acting police superintendent effective immediately, and the nomination will be submitted to the City Council Wednesday.

“Leroy Martin is a tough cop. He knows that I want my police superintendent to be a tough cop,” Washington said at a City Hall news conference.

Flanked by his wife and family, Martin said his priorities “first would be to try to get a handle on youth gang crimes that are committed on the street against our citizens and our young people who can’t go to school because of intimidation, and also our drug problem that almost touches everybody in the city of Chicago.”

By selecting Martin, who is black, Washington passed over the two other finalists for the job – Matt L. Rodriguez, a Hispanic deputy superintendent of the Bureau of Technical Services, and Rudolph E. Nimocks Sr., a black deputy superintendent of the Bureau of Administrative Services.

The mayor was under pressure from Hispanic leaders – including Aldermen Juan M. Soliz (25th), Luis V. Gutierrez (26th), Raymond A. Figueroa (31st) and Jesus G. Garcia (22nd) – to pick Rodriguez for superintendent.

Martin’s appointment “is viewed as a disappointment by Hispanic community organizational leaders,” Soliz said at a street-corner press conference Saturday in his Southwest Side ward.

Soliz said the mayor had “passed up an opportunity to bridge the gap between city government and the needs of the Hispanic population.”

“However, we will cautiously accept the mayor’s appointment of Supt. Martin and challenge the new superintendent to work with us in developing plans that can effect change in our community,” he added.

Although the mayor missed this “golden opportunity,” Soliz urged Washington to consider appointing Hispanics to other top city posts, such as health commissioner.

Washington said Martin edged out his competition because he possesses a special kind of sensitivity about the community.

“He has that `field feel,’ shall we say, that keen sense of awareness of what’s going on in the street,” the mayor said.

Martin worked a beat in the old Burnside Station at the start of his career in 1955. As deputy chief of patrol, he was viewed as a long shot over the higher-ranking finalists vying for the $96,000-a-year post.

Martin said Saturday he hopes “to have a legacy that leaves an even better police department than Supt. Rice left us – and he left us an excellent department.”

Also expressing Hispanics’ unhappiness was the Latin American Police Association.

“Naturally, we feel disappointment that Deputy Supt. Matt Rodriguez was not appointed superintendent of police, but at this point the (association) will accept the mayor’s appointment of Leroy Martin,” said Rene Jacuz, a spokesman for the group.

Soliz also suggested the mayor name a Hispanic to the No. 2 spot now held by First Deputy Police Supt. John J. Jemilo, a white, who earlier angrily hinted he would resign from the force after he lost the top spot.

When asked at the City Hall news conference who he would pick as his first deputy, Martin called Jemilo a “scholarly individual” and said, “if he will stay on I would love to have him on board,” he added.

Jemilo, who met with Mayor Washington last week to discuss his future with the Police Department, said he was planning to meet with Martin.

He said he has not made up his mind whether to resign, adding that he would not stay if he wasn’t allowed to remain as first deputy.

Rodriguez, who described himself as a “team player,” said he has known Martin for years and thinks he is a “highly responsible, good leader and can do the job well. I have every bit of confidence in him.”

“The most important thing is to continue having an excellent police department,” he said. “I’m sure the top echelon, middle management and the rank and file will work hard under Martin’s leadership to do the job.”

Nimocks said he is also a team player and would work hard in every way possible to improve the department, which he said was left in excellent standing by Rice.

“Martin is a fine leader and highly experienced and I’m sure we can all work together,” he added.

John Dineen, head of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he did not know enough about Martin to have an opinion on Washington’s choice of superintendent, which he said is a political decision the mayor is entitled to make.