The commission charged with picking Chicago’s next top cop named three finalists Thursday, starting a 30-day countdown for Mayor Brandon Johnson to make a consequential decision about the future of the Chicago Police Department even as he runs for reelection.
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability recommended three veterans of the Chicago Police Department to lead CPD as the city’s homicide rate has dropped 4% this year after hitting a 60-year low in 2025 and violent crime fell an additional 6.7% since the start of 2026.
The finalists are three CPD veterans who have each served on the force for more than 25 years: Angel Novalez, the chief of the Office of Community Policing; Chris Papaioannou, the chief of the Bureau of Counterterrorism; and Antoinette Ursitti, the first deputy superintendent…