An Independent Superintendent?

One of our regular reads - the Chicago Contrarian - has an article up about what the new Super might need to be in order to be successful:

• To meet the challenges of the role of Superintendent and to best serve the City of Chicago, communication will be of vital importance to become an effective leader. Years of secret “merit” promotions, surprise changes to schedules and major policy decisions without the input of the rank and file has resulted in a culture of secrecy on the 5th floor of police headquarters.
  
  This is a culture police officers utterly detest. Emanuel-era communications czar Anthony Guglielmi’s recently announced departure will allow the next Superintendent to change the culture entirely from secrecy and spin to conversation and engagement.
  
  With a greater emphasis placed on community policing, now would be the relevant time for the new superintendent to acknowledge that police officers are part of the community. To sweep away the culture of mystery consuming the Department, it will be worthwhile to include officials with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the Police Benevolent and Protective Association (PBPA) on decision-making, particularly on all major policy decisions. Even if a final decision has been reached without involving all parties, providing officers notice of any change to working conditions prior to the information being released to the press or announced by the mayor is the right way to earn trust and gain confidence from those to whom the decisions impact the most. Loyalty and trust go both ways.

There are certainly a lot of political impossibilities in the article, which lists five things necessary for any superintendent to make actual progress and be considered any kind of a success, but they are real ideas even if nearly impossible to achieve.

Go read it all.