DeKalb County public safety director Cedric Alexander is a front-runner to become the next police superintendent in Chicago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Alexander came to DeKalb in 2013 from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where he served as security director for the Transportation Security Administration.
Eight months after he arrived in DeKalb, interim CEO Lee May promoted him to a new position of deputy chief operating officer for public safety, equivalent to a public safety director who oversees all public safety issues.
He received the promotion amid reports that the Rochester, N.Y., Police Department was trying to lure him back to the top job. Alexander was police chief in Rochester in 2005 and was with the department for more than three years.
Lori Lightfoot, the president of the Chicago police board, refused to comment on Alexander, but said she hopes to forward the names of three finalists to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel by early next week.
Three sources told the Sun-Times they expect Alexander to be on that list. One source described him as a “rock star.”
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