Weis: Zero tolerance for police misconduct

Chicago's newly named police superintendent is promising to overhaul the department's Internal Affairs Division, investigate police shootings only after all the facts are in, and punish even the most minor infractions.

Jody Weis told the Chicago City Council his top priority is to strengthen training and implement a system of punishment designed to restore public confidence shaken by allegations of excessive force, barroom brawls involving off-duty officers and an ongoing scandal in the disbanded Special Operations Section.

Weis, who was the special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia office, was named to replace Police Superintendent Phil Cline, who announced his retirement last year amid allegations of police misconduct.

During his five-hour confirmation hearing Monday, Weis promised to fire any officer accused of lying, cheating, stealing, corruption and brutality. He also talked about punishing even the most minor infractions.

"All too often, a sergeant or lieutenant may say, 'That's not a big deal. We'll let that go.' It may be a very minor violation," weis said. "But, that does sometimes set the tone that . . . misconduct is gonna be condoned or accepted. . . . People will then feel free to . . . keep getting a little more bold and a little more bold."

Weis vowed to assemble a diverse command staff comprised of police insiders, but made no promise to appoint an African-American as his first deputy.

He vowed to deploy officers "where the crime is" and to reassign to street duty officers "hiding out" at police headquarters and on medical rolls.

As the first outsider to serve as superintendent in nearly 50 years, Weis acknowledged he enters the job with a "certain degree of apprehension . . . . This is not gonna be an easy job. I recognize that."