Chicago's top cop makes more than Daley

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is defending his decision to pay his newly chosen police superintendent a $300,000 salary. That is $83,790 more than what Daley is paid annually.

Daley says he is being very responsible in making J.P. Weis Chicago's highest-paid public official. The police superintendent's current annual salary is $185,652.

Weis was the special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia field office when he was chosen last week to restore public confidence in the Chicago Police Department. The department has been shaken by allegations of excessive force, barroom brawling and an ongoing scandal in the since disbanded Special Operations Section.

Weis' salary was made possible by eliminating the vacant job of chief emergency officer, the duties of which will be assumed by the superintendent.