Garry McCarthy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Garry McCarthy
McCarthy in 2018
61st Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department
In office May 16, 2011 – December 1, 2015
Appointed by	Rahm Emanuel
Preceded by	Jody Weis Terry G. Hillard (interim)
Succeeded by	Eddie T. Johnson John Escalante (interim)
Deputy Commissioner of Operations and Crime Control Strategies, New York City Police Department
In office 2000–2006
Commissioner	Howard Safir Bernard Kerik Raymond W. Kelly
Preceded by	Ed Norris
Succeeded by	Phil Pulaski
Personal details
Born	Garry Francis McCarthy (1959-05-04) May 4, 1959 (age 66) The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Gina McCarthy ​ (m. 1984⁠–⁠2014)​ Kristin Barnette ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	3
Alma mater	University at Albany, SUNY (BA)
Profession	American Public Servant
Police career
Department	New York City (1981-2006) Newark, New Jersey (2006–2011) Chicago (2011–2015) Willow Springs (2022-present)
Years of service	1981–present
Rank	Police commissioner

Garry Francis McCarthy (born May 4, 1959) is an American law enforcement officer. He currently serves as the Chief of Police for Willow Springs, Illinois. Before this, he was the Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. McCarthy also ran for mayor of Chicago in the 2019 election.

Early Life and Education

Garry McCarthy was born and grew up in The Bronx, New York. He went to Cardinal Spellman High School and finished in 1977. In 1981, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from SUNY Albany.

Career in Law Enforcement

Garry McCarthy has had a long career in policing, working in several major cities.

New York City Police Department

McCarthy started his police career with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in 1981 when he was 22. He moved up through different roles. By 2000, he became the Deputy Commissioner of Operations. He was involved in the emergency response at Ground Zero during the September 11 attacks. While at the NYPD, he commanded several police areas and was in charge of the department's crime-fighting program called CompStat.

Newark Police Department

In 2006, McCarthy left the NYPD to become the Police Director of the Police Department in Newark, New Jersey. He was chosen for this job by Mayor Cory Booker. During his time in Newark, crime rates went down significantly. Murders dropped by 28 percent, shootings by 46 percent, and overall crime by 21 percent.

Chicago Police Department

In 2011, Mayor Rahm Emanuel hired McCarthy to lead the Chicago Police Department. McCarthy was the highest-paid public employee in Chicago at the time. During his leadership, the number of crimes and murders in Chicago decreased. For example, murders went from 525 in 2011 to 415 in 2013.

Some reports questioned how these crime numbers were counted. McCarthy stated that these reports were "patently false." An audit in 2012 found that the Chicago Police Department had undercounted some types of assault victims. McCarthy said this error happened before he took over.

Leaving the Chicago Police Department

In October 2014, a young man named Laquan McDonald was shot by a Chicago Police Officer. The video of the incident was released to the public later, after a court order. Many people were upset and called for changes in the police department. They also asked Mayor Emanuel and Superintendent McCarthy to resign. McCarthy did not resign, but Mayor Rahm Emanuel ended his employment in December 2015.

Willow Springs Police Department

In April 2022, Garry McCarthy was named the interim police chief for Willow Springs, Illinois. This town has about 5,857 people and is located near the Cook and DuPage county border.

Running for Mayor of Chicago

On March 21, 2018, Garry McCarthy announced he would run for Mayor of Chicago in the 2019 election. At that time, he lived in Chicago with his three children.

Early polls in July 2018 showed McCarthy as a strong challenger to the current mayor, Rahm Emanuel. However, in September 2018, Mayor Emanuel announced he would not seek re-election. This changed the election race, as many other candidates then decided to run.

McCarthy eventually lost the election to Lori Lightfoot. This was McCarthy's first time running for public office. He now runs his own security consulting business. During his campaign, he suggested that Chicago could add nearby suburban communities like Evergreen Park and Oak Park to help with population and money issues. Leaders in those suburbs did not agree with this idea.

Electoral History

See also

• Chicago Police Department

External links