Fellow Chicagoans,

There has been a long history of distrust between the impacted communities and Chicago Police Department (CPD).  This history stemmed anywhere from neglect & abuse in our communities, murder of innocent people, excessive use of force, as well as police coverups. In order to move forward with repairing the breech, our community needs someone with strong leadership skills.

When we polled the community at large to see who would be the ideal superintendent for CPD, the feedback was unanimous:  Retired Chief Ernest Cato III.  Our communities shared stories of Cato's achievements that not only reduced violent crime but also built trust between the community and CPD.  He's known as a hard worker; he frequently visited troubled neighborhood spots in the midnight hour on top of his other duties. Just as impressive, he has brought jobs and resource fairs to those corners to help people find a better way.  He's personable, honest, responsive, fair, and community minded.

Ernest Cato III was one of the top candidates for superintendent in 2020.  He has already been vetted and embraced by the community.

Here are the top leadership qualities that surfaced to the top of our criteria (Cato meets all qualifications):

• Proven strategies of interrupting and reducing violent crime including alternative methods (alternative policing)
• Familiar with all Chicagoland communities (West & South sides included)
• Strong dispute resolution skills to restore and maintain relationships with all community members
• Experience leading multiple levels of CPD departments simultaneously 
  • This includes leading & recruiting external bodies of people/organizations to work with CPD
• Ensuring there is accountability where needed for CPD

Our communities deserve trustworthy leadership.  Please help us make Chicago a safer place for all communities and support this petition with your signature!