Interim Police Supt. Charlie Beck Says He Won't Be Issuing Merit Promotions
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Interim Chicago Police Supt. Charlie Beck announced Tuesday that he is freezing merit promotions while he is in charge.
Merit promotions are awarded by superior officers and aren't based on an officer's performance on civil service exams.
"While I was pleased to see that so many of you have registered to take the Sergeant Promotional Examination on Saturday, I continue to hear that members have been dissatisfied and discouraged by the merit promotion system," Beck wrote in an email to officers. "Therefore, in consultation with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Graham, I decided that I will not make any merit promotions during my tenure as Interim Superintendent."
Beck said he also plans to recommend that his successor abolish merit promotions, and instead promote only on how candidates perform on the exams that are held every two years, police confirmed to CBS 2.
A recent Department of Justice report, following the Laquan McDonald police shooting video, found that many officers believed promotions were not based on merit but instead on clout.