How will rank-and-file police officers react to the mayor's unexpected appointment of CPD veteran Eddie Johnson?
“Eddie’s a good boss. Eddie’s a people person, and Eddie can help boost morale within the department,” said former Chicago police officer Richard Wooten of the Gathering Point Community Council. “One of the things that surprised me was that Eddie wasn’t selected early on to hold this position because Eddie really has what it takes to get out here and make it work.”
“I think it’s a good choice,” former Chicago police officer and chairman of the Chicago Police Survivors Brian Warner said.“He’s coming from the inside, that’s huge. Our last two superintendents came from the outside.”
Having worked the beat himself, Johnson can relate to officers.
“Eddie can actually work from every angle with the African-American officers, Hispanic officers, white officers. Eddie is a gentleman who can really take this leadership and run with it,” said Wooten.
“Morale is very low and that’ll be something he’ll be able to relate to,” Warner said. “He’s worked the beat car, he’s worked on supervisor positions, he’s seen what’s going on firsthand here for the last two and a half years or whenever the Ferguson effect started taking place. And he’s seen the good things that have happened inside the department.”
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