Superintendent Larry B. Snelling

Larry B. Snelling is Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Superintendent Snelling joined CPD in 1992 as a patrol officer in his home community of Englewood. This type of community-based policing experience remained core to his values and his experience as he ascended through the department

After serving as a patrol officer in the 7th (Englewood) District, Superintendent Snelling was promoted to sergeant, serving in the 22nd (Morgan Park) District and Physical Skills and Operations sections for recruit training at the Police Academy. He returned to the 7th District as watch operations lieutenant before being promoted to commander, and later, deputy chief of Area 2. 

In 2022, Superintendent Snelling was promoted to Chief of the Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism, which coordinates with the Office of Emergency Management and Communication and other city agencies, as well as other local, county, state and federal emergency responders, to respond to city emergencies.  

Superintendent Snelling redesigned the Department’s current force training model around national best practices and constitutional policing and has testified as an expert in federal use of force cases. Additionally, he was a lead trainer for field force training for the 2012 Chicago NATO Summit.

Superintendent Snelling was raised on the South Side of Chicago. He is a product of Chicago Public Schools, graduating from Englewood High School, and holds a bachelor’s degree in adult education from DePaul University.