CITY HALL — The City Council appears ready to perform an end-around on the process of selecting a police chief and confirm Eddie Johnson as top cop next week.
The Committee on Public Safety posted an agenda Friday for its Tuesday meeting, in which an ordinance amending the city code on "the appointment of the superintendent of police" will be considered, as well as a communication from Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointing Johnson to the post.
The Mayor's Press Office confirmed the measure, calling it "a one-time exemption."
"As the past few weeks have demonstrated, a broad range of city leaders and organizations share the mayor’s belief that interim Supt. Eddie Johnson is the right person at the right time to fight crime, lift morale among officers and build on the work that’s been done to restore trust and accountability in the police department," said mayoral spokesman Stephen Spector.
"This measure, which would create a one-time exemption to allow City Council to confirm Eddie Johnson as superintendent, will bring much-needed resolution and allow the Chicago Police Department to focus on the significant challenges and reforms that lie ahead."
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Emanuel named Johnson interim police chief late last month, but it was pending his selection by the Police Board, which by city law must submit a candidate to the mayor in order for him to select that person.
Emanuel's appointment of Johnson derailed the previous Police Board search, which arrived at three finalists, none of whom was Johnson.
Aldermen like Anthony Beale (9th) have since questioned if another search was necessary, especially after reports surfaced that the original search had cost $500,000.
The council appears ready to skirt its way around that, although the text of the amended ordinance was not posted online.
That comes in spite of recent revelations by DNAinfo Chicago that Johnson's fiancee is part of an investigation into allegations of cheating on a lieutenant's exam.
Police Department sources confirmed Johnson would be at Tuesday's committee meeting, signaling a swift confirmation.
