A collage of recent top cops in Chicago. Top row, from left: David Brown, Eddie Johnson, Garry McCarthy, Jody Weis. Bottom row, from left: Phil Cline, Terry Hillard, Matt Rodriguez and most recent interim Superintendent Charlie Beck. (WTTW News photos)

Chicago has seen more police chiefs than mayors in its nearly 200-year history. Occupants of the powerful, high-profile position walk a political tightrope, and have suffered some epic falls. Here’s a look at the legacy of the city’s most recent superintendents. 

Mayoral candidates Lori Lightfoot, left, and Toni Preckwinkle appear on “Chicago Tonight” on May 14, 2018 and Oct. 16, 2017, respectively.

Calling Tuesday’s election a referendum on the “crumbling political machine of the past,” former Chicago Police Board chair Lori Lightfoot claimed a spot in the historic mayoral runoff set for April 2.

Chicago mayoral candidates Garry McCarthy, Gery Chico, Amara Enyia, La Shawn Ford and Lori Lightfoot appear on “Chicago Tonight” Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019.

If the mayoral candidate forum Monday was punctuated by testy exchanges between Susana Mendoza and Bill Daley, Tuesday’s crew of five candidates – moderated by Carol Marin – kept it mostly civil.

Join us Tuesday at 7 p.m. for our third and final mayoral candidate forum, moderated by Carol Marin. Watch on WTTW11 or live on Facebook and YouTube.

Garry McCarthy appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Feb. 20, 2018.

Garry McCarthy is officially in. “It’s time for new leadership in City Hall that’ll fix our problems and pull us together,” the former Chicago Police superintendent said in a video announcing his bid for Chicago mayor.

Garry McCarthy appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Feb. 20, 2018.

Chicago’s former top cop is expected to formally announce plans to run for the city’s top job next week, a source says. “It’s just killing me to be on the sidelines and watching what’s happening in the city,” Garry McCarthy told us last month.

Will he or won’t he? Former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy is sounding more and more like a candidate for mayor. He joins us to discuss his potential run against the man who brought him to Chicago.

(Chicago Tonight)

A majority of police officers say their jobs have become more difficult and dangerous in the wake of high-profile deaths of black citizens during police encounters, a new survey by the Pew Research Center reveals.

Garry McCarthy speaks at the City Club of Chicago on Monday, Sept. 19.
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Chicago's former top cop speaks out and raises some eyebrows by saying how he would have handled the Laquan McDonald situation.

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Former top cop wanted to have power to fire police

The city’s former top cop Garry McCarthy says he warned Mayor Rahm Emanuel about what he calls a “dysfunctional” disciplinary system for cops. 

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Tonight, the Chicago Police Board is holding a public hearing on the search for a new superintendent, and African-American aldermen and community members reveal to us their short list for the job. Paris Schutz joins us with details.

As Chicago aldermen push for new oversight of City Council and take a hard look at proposals to borrow billions, they’re also faced with ongoing ethics questions about the city’s Law Department and police review authority. A panel of aldermen joins "Chicago Tonight" to discuss those issues and the search for a new police superintendent. 

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Public to Weigh in on Search for New Top Cop

Tuesday the public gets to have its say in the search for the city's new police superintendent. Lori Lightfoot, president of the Chicago Police Board, joins "Chicago Tonight" to talk about the search.

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During this week’s special edition of the Week in Review, Joel Weisman and his panel discuss the biggest news stories of 2015, including the release of the Laquan McDonald video, the resignation of CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett and the three-time Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks.

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With his approval rating at an all-time low, Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivered a rare special address on Wednesday morning to apologize for the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald.

Justice Department Launches Chicago Police Department Probe

Another police dash-cam video depicting an officer-involved shooting of a young African-American male is released to the public, but this time, the state's attorney will not bring criminal charges. Paris Schutz joins us with the latest on this and more of today's breaking news.