Commentary: Success in other cities shows that a strong police superintendent can reduce Chicago’s violence – Chicago Tribune*

"As the Justice Department official who was responsible for implementing the 1994 federal crime law, I had a ringside view of changes in U. S. policing in the 1990s. I came to one clear conclusion: The single-most important factor in determining whether cities made real progress in reducing violent crime was the quality of police leadership...For more than a decade, except for less than six months of interim leadership by Charlie Beck, Chicago has not had police superintendent of that quality. Chicago’s crime levels show the consequences."