A significant initiative to reduce gun violence in Chicago has been announced, with the Sue Ling Gin Foundation pledging $15 million over five years. This funding will support the development and implementation of a leadership and management education program for Chicago police supervisors.
The Civic Committee is collaborating with the University of Chicago Crime Lab to execute this project. The program aims to enhance effective and ethical leadership practices, performance management, data-driven decision-making, resilience building, officer wellness, and community trust.
Robert Hamada, a trustee of the Sue Ling Gin Foundation and former Dean at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, emphasized the importance of investing in police management training. He said that such investments could make Chicago safer and attract better candidates to policing. "Corporations do this kind of continuing education all the time," he noted.
CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling expressed gratitude for the foundation's support, highlighting its role in strengthening safety and trust across the city. "We have to invest in the frontline supervisors who are managing day-to-day operations," Snelling said.
The Civic Committee will receive the gift from the Sue Ling Gin Foundation and work with the Crime Lab to establish training programs modeled after national initiatives like the Policing Leadership Academy. This effort aligns with a broader plan released by the Civic Committee's Public Safety Task Force in 2023.
Task Force co-chairs Mark Hoplamazian and Eric Smith praised this investment as being aligned with Jim Crown’s vision for police leadership development. They expressed excitement about working with various stakeholders on this project.
Katie Hill, Executive Director of the Crime Lab, highlighted gun violence as a pressing challenge impacting multiple facets of city life. She expressed gratitude for the foundation's support, hoping it would have a transformational impact on CPD and other cities nationwide.
Sue Ling Gin was an entrepreneur known for her philanthropic efforts. She founded Flying Food Group and served on numerous nonprofit boards before her passing in 2014.
For further information: News Affairs (CPD) at news.affairs@chicagopolice.org; Peter Cunningham (Civic Committee) at petercunningham57@gmail.com; Kim Smith (University of Chicago Crime Lab) at kimberleys@uchicago.edu.
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