Garry McCarthy, Chicago's Ex-Top Cop, Will Run For Mayor

CHICAGO, IL — Garry McCarthy, Chicago's former top cop, announced his mayoral bid Wednesday night, promising to fix "our failed education system, the overwhelming tax burden on hard-working people, and the violent crime that plagues the entire city," according to a statement. He puts the blame for those problems at the foot of his old boss and the man who fired him, Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

"Under the current administration, we've heard nothing but broken promises from City Hall," the former Chicago police superintendent said in a statement. "When our Mayor focuses on politics, and not problem solving, none of us can move forward. It's time for new leadership that will fix our problems and pull us together."

His candidacy adds to the ever-growing list of Chicago mayoral hopefuls that includes Emanuel, 30-year-old tech entrepreneur Neal Sales-Griffin and Chicago Principals & Administrators Association President Troy LaRaviere. An outspoken critic of Emanuel, LaRaviere was fired as Blaine Elementary School principal in April 2016 for voicing support for th Chicago Teachers Union.

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McCarthy has been receiving encouragement and support to run for mayor shortly after his firing at the end of 2015. But he brushed off those urgings, claiming he wasn't a political animal.

"A lot of people are encouraging me to [run for mayor]," he said in an April 2017 appearance on "The Big John and Ray Show" on WLS-AM (890) "Politics is not in my DNA. I'm not very good at that as you guys know, I'm very straightforward."

McCarthy lost his job as police superintendent in December of that year after the release of a department dash cam video that showed the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by CPD Ofc. Jason Van Dyke in 2014. Desipte pressure from community activists, the city fought the video's release for a year and was finally ordered by a judge to make it public.

Since his firing, McCarthy hasn't been shy about speaking his mind. During a September speaking engagement, he stood by the decision to withhold the McDonald tape, claiming such an action maintained the integrity of an ongoing investigation. McCarthy also said the U.S. Department of Justice's recent civil rights investigation of the Chicago Police Department had created a chilling effect on officers, making them afraid they would reprimanded for doing their jobs.

“Minor disciplinary cases that were in the pipeline when I was superintendent after I was fired resulted in people being forced to retire, because you have to be tough on police because they’re the problem," he told the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday. "Police are not the problem in a city where there’s 4,800 people shot each year. Criminals are the problem. But instead of addressing criminals, we’ve emboldened them and hamstrung the police.”

McCarthy also dismisses the idea that his bid is a way to get back at his old boss. His run is about giving back to the community and helping Chicago.

"No way, no way. While I am very emotional, that’s not my motivation here," he told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday. "Why would I possibly take on turning around one of the largest American cities in the right direction? Because I’m annoyed? No. I’m doing it out of a sense of obligation as a public servant and that’s what motivates me."

More via the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune

Former Chicago police Supt. Garry McCarthy (Photo via Patch archive)