More than a year into his tenure as head of the Chicago Police Department, Superintendent Larry Snelling on Monday announced the promotion of Yolanda Talley to the department’s second-in-command.
Talley, a 30-year department veteran and most recently chief of the bureau of internal affairs, will be the first Black woman to serve as first deputy superintendent, overseeing much of the department’s day-to-day operations and reporting directly to Snelling.
Prior to internal affairs, Talley was commander of the Austin District (15th) on the West Side, and she has appeared regularly at the monthly meetings of the Chicago Police Board.
In February 2024, Talley told members of the board that the bureau of internal affairs was often at odds with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, one of the agencies that investigates alleged misconduct by CPD officers.
“One of the key issues BIA and COPA face is finding common ground,” Talley previously said. “Both entities are tasked with overseeing police conduct, yet there have been instances where we don’t see eye-to-eye, and we acknowledge these challenges and strive toward collaborative solutions that enhance the efficiency and transparency of our investigative processes and foster a culture of effective communication.”
Talley’s comments came shortly after Snelling castigated COPA’s now-former chief administrator for the agency’s perceived “biases.”
Along with Talley, CPD promoted new leaders in the department’s office of constitutional policing and reform, the investigative response team, Area 4 on the West Side, as well as two patrol districts.
CPD has been without a first deputy superintendent since Snelling took over the department about 18 months ago. In an interview last year with the Tribune, Snelling said he had assumed most of the first deputy responsibilities himself with help from the CPD chiefs. He conceded that some find this approach “problematic” and he “would like a break every now and again,” but the arrangement, to that point, had worked.
“I learn by diving into the deep end of the pool,” Snelling previously told the Tribune. “I want to know every aspect of every job at the command staff position because it really helps me to develop and it helps me to have a better understanding of what to expect for the next person that I’m going to put in that position.”
In February 2022, Talley’s personal vehicle was involved in a narcotics arrest in the Harrison District (11th). The first deputy’s niece was driving the car, and a man in the passenger seat was seen by police throwing a package of heroin out the window before officers placed him under arrest.
In body-worn camera footage previously obtained by the Tribune, Talley’s niece told responding officers, “Don’t even worry about it cause my auntie’s probably your boss.”
Talley’s niece was not arrested, but the man later faced narcotics charges and ultimately was sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections. Former CPD Superintendent David Brown later said there was “no evidence of any misconduct by Chief Talley.”
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