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Garry McCarthy

Garry Francis McCarthy (born May 4, 1959) is an American law enforcement executive whose career spans four decades in major urban police departments. He joined the Police Department in 1981 as a patrol officer and advanced through ranks including precinct commander and counterterrorism roles, eventually serving as of Operations until 2006, during which he coordinated responses to events like the . From 2006 to 2011, McCarthy directed the Police Department, implementing intelligence-led strategies amid ongoing challenges with gang violence and departmental oversight. In May 2011, Mayor appointed McCarthy as Superintendent of the , the nation's second-largest force with over 13,000 officers and a $1.4 billion budget, where he prioritized data-driven tactics such as for gang disruptions and "call-in" meetings with at-risk individuals to deter . Notable successes included managing security for the 2012 without major disruptions despite protests. However, his tenure ended controversially on December 1, 2015, when Emanuel requested his amid investigations into the department's handling of the 2014 fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald and broader allegations of a "" protecting officers from accountability, issues compounded by federal probes into patterns of excessive force. Critics, including civil rights groups, argued McCarthy failed to sufficiently address systemic misconduct inherited from prior leadership, while supporters credited him with incremental violence reductions through targeted enforcement despite resource constraints. Post-Chicago, McCarthy ran unsuccessfully for in 2019, emphasizing his policing experience to combat rising rates. He later founded McCarthy Byrnes LLC, a security consulting firm, and has spoken publicly on challenges, including the following the 2023 overdose death of his daughter.

Early life and education

Family background and upbringing

Garry Francis McCarthy was born on May 4, 1959, in , New York. He grew up in alongside two older brothers, in a household shaped by his parents' professions and military service. His father, a veteran who served as a Marine Corps machine gunner, later became a detective with the after returning from the war. McCarthy's mother worked as a nurse, providing a stable family environment amid the challenges of urban life in during the mid-20th century. This background instilled early exposure to and discipline, with his father's role fostering an interest in policing from a young age.

Formal education and early influences

McCarthy graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School, a Catholic institution in , in 1977. He then attended the at , earning a degree in in 1981. During his undergraduate years, he participated in college athletics, playing on both the and teams. Later professional development included attendance at the Police Management Institute at and enrollment in a graduate program at . Born on May 4, 1959, and raised in alongside two older brothers, McCarthy grew up in a shaped by . His father, a veteran who later served as a Department detective, and his mother, a nurse, provided an environment steeped in discipline and values. This family background, combined with his Catholic schooling, is cited as fostering his early interest in policing, leading him to join the NYPD shortly after college graduation.

Law enforcement career

New York Police Department service

Garry McCarthy joined the (NYPD) in 1981 as a patrol officer. During his early years, in the early , he was disciplined for an off-duty incident involving and an altercation. He advanced through the ranks with promotions to in November 1985, in 1989, and in October 1992. McCarthy continued his ascent, becoming deputy inspector in 1997 and inspector in 1999, during which he commanded three precincts, including the 70th Precinct, where he oversaw reductions in double-digit crime rates and police complaints. In 2000, he was appointed of Operations, a role he held until 2006, serving as the department's principal crime control strategist under Commissioners and . In this senior position, McCarthy contributed to the NYPD's data-driven strategies, including , which correlated with sustained declines in citywide crime, such as homicides reaching their lowest level since 1963 by 2005. His efforts earned recognition from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, as second-in-command, he led NYPD operations at Ground Zero.

Newark Police Department leadership

Garry McCarthy was appointed director of the Police Department in September 2006 by Mayor . His leadership emphasized operational efficiency, with the department reporting a 17 percent increase in arrests since 2006 and a reduction in civilian complaints against officers. In his first year, murders declined by 9 percent—the first such drop since 2002—amid broader efforts to professionalize the force, including enhanced enforcement actions totaling 77,000 additional arrests and warrants served from mid-2006 onward. Crime trends under McCarthy showed initial declines following Newark's peak of 101 homicides in 2006, with shootings and aggravated assaults decreasing notably by early , contributing to the city's first homicide-free month in 44 years that . Overall fell 13 percent in the first quarter of compared to the prior year. However, fiscal constraints led to the layoff of 167 officers in , correlating with a 65 percent homicide increase early in 2011 and a 6 percent rise in overall that year. McCarthy's tenure drew criticism for inadequate accountability mechanisms, as evidenced by a 2010 ACLU report documenting patterns of police abuse and civil rights violations, which prompted calls for federal oversight that he rejected. A U.S. Department of Justice investigation, initiated in May 2011 shortly before his departure, later found in 2014 a pattern of unconstitutional stops, searches, and arrests disproportionately targeting residents, alongside excessive in 14 of 67 reviewed complaints (with only one sustained between 2007 and 2012) and deficient investigations of incidents. officials subsequently attributed some departmental dysfunction, including the DOJ findings, to shortcomings in McCarthy's oversight. McCarthy resigned in May 2011 to become superintendent of the , leaving amid ongoing budget turmoil and emerging federal scrutiny. His strategies yielded measurable crime reductions in early years but were undermined by resource shortages and persistent internal issues, as later highlighted in independent probes.

Chicago Police Department superintendency

Garry McCarthy was selected by Chicago Mayor as the city's police superintendent on May 2, 2011, drawing on his prior leadership in the and police departments to address persistent challenges. He assumed the role amid expectations for implementing data-driven strategies, including enhanced gang intelligence sharing via new computer systems and community-oriented policing initiatives like gang "call-ins" to deter violence. Under his direction, overall declined markedly; by the end of 2014, total reported crimes had fallen 15 percent from the previous year, reaching the lowest levels since 1972, with reductions attributed to targeted enforcement and . rates fluctuated, however, rising to 507 in 2012 before stabilizing, reflecting ongoing -related pressures despite broader gains. McCarthy's tenure emphasized strategic reallocations of resources to high-crime areas and collaborations with agencies, contributing to a 26 percent drop in overall over two years by late compared to 2012 baselines. These efforts drew praise from Emanuel for reducing victimization through proactive measures, though critics in and activist circles questioned data manipulation and underreporting, claims not substantiated by audits during his service. The superintendency concluded abruptly on December 1, 2015, when Emanuel terminated McCarthy following the release of dashcam footage showing officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times in October 2014, an incident that ignited protests over perceived failures and video withholding. Emanuel cited an erosion of public trust as the rationale, despite defending McCarthy's crime-fighting record, amid mounting political pressure from federal investigations into department patterns of excessive force. McCarthy maintained he had no role in suppressing the video and viewed his dismissal as a scapegoating amid broader departmental scrutiny.

Strategic reforms and crime reduction efforts

McCarthy prioritized data-driven policing upon taking office as Chicago Police Superintendent in December 2011, adapting models from his and tenures to allocate resources based on real-time crime analytics and hotspot identification. In 2012, he collaborated with to launch targeted violence reduction initiatives, deploying additional officers to 20 high-crime police beats comprising just 4% of the city's land area but accounting for over 50% of shootings. A key innovation was the rollout of Strategic Decision Support Centers (SDSCs), district-level facilities integrating live video feeds, license plate readers, and gunshot detection to enable rapid response and predictive deployment; the first SDSCs became operational during his tenure through partnerships with the Crime Lab and city officials. McCarthy also intensified firearms interdiction, with officers recovering over 7,400 illegal guns in 2012 alone, emphasizing enforcement against gang-related possession and trafficking. To foster community trust amid persistent gang violence, McCarthy mandated training—a 6.5-hour program on fair treatment and legitimacy—for all approximately 12,000 sworn officers, alongside expansions in under the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS). These efforts correlated with declines in overall , though attribution is complicated by pre-existing downward trends; homicides, concentrated in disputes, numbered 507 in 2012 (a spike from 433 in 2011), then fell to 415 in 2013 and 421 in 2014—levels unseen since the —before rising to 468 in 2015. Independent analyses, such as from , indicate McCarthy's strategies contributed to intermittent reductions but did not fundamentally alter 's entrenched high murder rates driven by fragmented structures and illegal gun flows.

Laquan McDonald incident and related controversies

On October 20, 2014, Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times after responding to reports of a male stabbing tires and attempting to carjack drivers near 41st Street and Pulaski Road. McDonald, who was armed with a 4-inch knife and later tested positive for in his system, had a documented history of violent behavior and issues, including prior encounters with . As Chicago Police Superintendent, Garry McCarthy approved an initial stating that McDonald had lunged at officers with the knife and continued to advance despite commands to drop it, justifying the use of deadly force as necessary to protect responding officers. Dashcam video from a responding police vehicle captured the incident but was not publicly released at the time, despite its existence being known to department leadership. The shooting was investigated by the Independent Review Authority (IPRA), an external civilian oversight body, which initially cleared of wrongdoing based on witness statements and reports emphasizing McDonald's perceived threat. McCarthy publicly defended the officers' actions in the days following, describing the event as a justified response to an armed individual refusing to comply and posing an imminent danger, consistent with department training on active threats. A Act request filed by attorneys representing family led to a $5 million by the city in April 2015, with a mandating video release by November 24, 2015, unless an intervened. Upon release, the footage showed McDonald walking erratically with the knife raised but not lunging toward officers at the moment opened fire; most shots struck McDonald after he had fallen to the ground. was charged with first-degree murder the same day by . McCarthy later acknowledged the initial was inaccurate based on the video , taking for its approval while noting it relied on preliminary accounts. The video's delayed release sparked widespread controversy, including allegations of a coordinated effort by city officials, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration, to withhold it until after Emanuel's April 2015 re-election to avoid political fallout. McCarthy stated his hands were tied on the decision, as it fell under legal and mayoral purview rather than direct police control, and he would have advised against release to prevent unrest, citing precedents where such videos were not disclosed during ongoing investigations. Protests erupted in Chicago, demanding McCarthy's resignation for perceived failures in oversight and transparency, amid broader scrutiny of the department's handling of the case. In the aftermath, Emanuel convened the Police Accountability Task Force in December 2015, which issued a 2016 report documenting systemic issues in CPD training, accountability, and racial disparities in policing but did not directly implicate McCarthy in misconduct related to the McDonald shooting. McCarthy was terminated as superintendent on December 1, 2015, shortly after the video's impact intensified public and political pressure. Years later, McCarthy alleged a specific involving the withholding of the video, naming individuals in the mayor's office and hierarchy, and called for an investigation by the Illinois into claims of suppression unrelated to his own decisions. Van Dyke was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated battery with a in 2018, receiving a sentence of six years and nine months, underscoring discrepancies between initial narratives and video but affirming McCarthy's post-firing assertions that the did not control investigations.

Termination and immediate aftermath

On December 1, 2015, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel dismissed Garry McCarthy from his position as superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, a move announced amid intensifying protests following the November 24 release of dashcam footage depicting the 2014 fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Officer Jason Van Dyke, who discharged 16 rounds into the teenager. Emanuel cited an "undeniable" erosion of public trust in the department as the primary rationale, stating that a change in leadership was necessary to restore confidence, while acknowledging McCarthy's prior achievements in reducing violent crime during his four-and-a-half-year tenure. The decision came one week after the video's mandated disclosure under a judge's order, which had prompted widespread demands for McCarthy's ouster, including from city aldermen and activists who argued the department's handling of the incident reflected deeper accountability failures. In conjunction with the dismissal, Emanuel established a led by former U.S. Eric to examine police recruitment, training, and accountability protocols, signaling an intent to address systemic issues beyond personnel changes. , who had publicly affirmed his commitment to the role just days prior and rejected calls to resign, departed without an immediate on-record rebuttal, though internal police scanner communications captured officers expressing dismay and solidarity, with some viewing the action as a political expedient amid Emanuel's own scrutiny over the delayed video release and a prior $5 million settlement with McDonald's family. Initial reactions highlighted divisions: community advocates dismissed the firing as insufficient without broader indictments, while the indicated support for McCarthy, framing him as a leader burdened by inherited challenges like gang violence and understaffing rather than the sole architect of the department's woes. The vacancy was temporarily filled by senior departmental leadership pending the appointment of an interim successor, as protests persisted into the following days, underscoring ongoing tensions over transparency and use-of-force practices.

Willow Springs Police Department role

In April 2022, Garry McCarthy was appointed interim police chief of the Willow Springs Police Department, succeeding Jim Ritz who had recently resigned. Willow Springs, a suburb southwest of with a population of approximately 5,900 residents, maintains a small department focused on in a low-crime area. McCarthy's selection leveraged his extensive experience from prior roles in the Police Department, Police Department, and , where he had implemented data-driven strategies to reduce . On September 19, 2022, McCarthy was sworn in as the permanent chief during a village board meeting, marking a transition from interim to full leadership of the department located at 8255 Willow Springs Road. In this capacity, he oversees operations including emergency response via , non-emergency services at (708) 839-2732, and lobby hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., emphasizing proactive in line with his career-long advocacy for evidence-based policing. As of 2025, McCarthy continues to serve as chief while hosting "Behind the Badge," a weekly 32 Chicago program streamed on platforms like , where he discusses policing challenges, officer experiences, and policy critiques, drawing from his suburban leadership role without apparent conflict noted in public records. This dual involvement allows him to maintain visibility on broader issues, such as urban crime trends and the impacts of , informed by local operations in Willow Springs.

Political involvement

2019 Chicago mayoral candidacy

Former Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy announced his candidacy for on March 21, 2018, positioning himself as a law-and-order leveraging his extensive policing to address the city's rising crime rates and governance failures under incumbent . McCarthy, who had been dismissed by Emanuel in December 2015 amid controversies over , argued that his leadership had previously driven crime reductions through data-driven strategies and , which he pledged to revive. McCarthy's platform emphasized proactive crime-fighting measures, including increasing recruitment and retention, investing in neighborhood schools to break cycles of and violence, and reforming pension systems without impairing benefits to stabilize city finances burdened by tax hikes. He criticized progressive approaches to policing as ineffective against gang-related violence, advocating instead for constitutional policing that balances enforcement with transparency to rebuild eroded by prior scandals. On economic issues, he targeted relief and reforms to foster honest , drawing from his outsider status post-firing. The campaign garnered endorsements from community figures like crisis responder Andrew Holmes, who praised McCarthy's direct engagement with violence-affected neighborhoods, though it struggled for broader institutional support amid a crowded field of 14 candidates. McCarthy participated in forums highlighting his experience, but polls consistently showed him trailing frontrunners like and .) In the February 26, 2019, election, McCarthy received 14,784 votes, accounting for 2.7% of the total, placing him near the bottom and failing to advance to the April runoff between Lightfoot and Preckwinkle.) His performance reflected limited appeal in a race dominated by narratives following Emanuel's decision not to seek re-election, with McCarthy's emphasis on aggressive policing resonating primarily in certain working-class precincts but alienating voters prioritizing over enforcement.

Electoral performance and analysis

In the February 26, 2019, general election for mayor, Garry McCarthy received 14,784 votes, representing 2.7% of the total ballots cast among 14 candidates. This performance placed him well below the threshold for advancement to the runoff, which pitted (97,667 votes, 17.5%) against (89,343 votes, 16.0%).) Voter turnout was approximately 52.7% of registered voters, with overall participation reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the incumbent administration amid ongoing issues like police reform and fiscal challenges. McCarthy's campaign emphasized data-driven crime reduction strategies, including enhanced officer training, stricter supervision, and reinvestment in neighborhood schools to address root causes of violence, positioning him as a "get-tough" alternative rooted in his prior law enforcement leadership. However, his vote share remained marginal, constrained by persistent public backlash from his 2015 dismissal as police superintendent following the Laquan McDonald shooting scandal, which had fueled demands for accountability and eroded credibility in key demographics, particularly African American voters who comprised a significant portion of the electorate. Pre-election polling consistently showed him trailing major contenders, with limited fundraising—raising under $1 million compared to frontrunners' totals exceeding $5 million each—further hampering visibility and grassroots mobilization. His critiques of the police union as outdated may have alienated potential supporters in law enforcement circles without broadening appeal elsewhere.

Later professional activities

Security consulting and private sector work

Following his tenure as Willow Springs police chief and unsuccessful 2019 Chicago mayoral bid, Garry McCarthy founded and leads McCarthy Byrnes, a Chicago-based firm specializing in consulting, private investigations, and advisory services. Established in partnership with Robert Byrnes, a retired commander, the company focuses on developing programs, conducting risk assessments, and providing to mitigate client vulnerabilities in high-risk environments. McCarthy serves as president and CEO, leveraging his prior command experience in Newark and to advise on operational efficiencies and threat mitigation. In the , McCarthy has consulted for dispensary operators amid rising burglary threats in following legalization. In January 2020, he was retained by Justice Cannabis Co. to enhance security at a burglarized Logan Square location, where over $100,000 in merchandise and cash had been stolen, implementing measures such as improved surveillance and access controls. Around the same time, his firm advised another marijuana retailer planning a outlet, drawing on data-driven protocols to address industry-specific risks like smash-and-grab incidents. McCarthy Byrnes also extends services to corporate clients seeking liability reduction and personnel safety, including vulnerability audits and training programs tailored to urban business operations. The firm's approach emphasizes proactive strategies over reactive responses, informed by McCarthy's record of declines during his superintendencies, though specific client outcomes remain proprietary.

Media appearances and commentary

McCarthy frequently appears on as a commentator on policing, , and public safety, leveraging his experience as former Chicago Police Superintendent to critique policies in sanctuary cities and urban centers. His segments often address resistance to federal enforcement measures, such as on November 21, 2024, when he expressed astonishment at opposition to Trump's immigration crackdowns in , arguing that local leaders prioritize politics over safety. On February 7, 2025, he advocated for stronger action against trafficking via House legislation, highlighting gaps in state-level responses under Governor . In August and September 2025 appearances, analyzed Chicago's crime wave as "multi-faceted," linking it to governance failures rather than solely enforcement issues, while discussing Pritzker's reluctance to deploy the . He has also featured on , including the April 15, 2021 episode, where he addressed police-involved incidents like the Toledo shooting, emphasizing context from evidence over initial media narratives. Beyond television, McCarthy contributes to the YouTube series Wearing the Badge, offering in-depth discussions on law enforcement internals, such as a September 19, 2025 episode unpacking the DOJ investigation into Chicago PD patterns of excessive force. Other installments cover high-profile cases like Hadiya Pendleton and Adam Toledo, focusing on data-driven responses and officer risks. Through his firm McCarthy Byrnes, he extends commentary to public safety topics, including fentanyl policy on Fox News segments. These platforms allow McCarthy to advocate proactive strategies amid what he describes as politicized defund-the-police movements.

Views on policing, crime, and policy

Critiques of progressive policing reforms

McCarthy has argued that progressive reforms, including the elimination of tools like Chicago's gang database, have undermined effective by removing intelligence essential for anticipating gang conflicts and violence. These changes, implemented amid legal and political pressures following high-profile incidents, contributed to a reversal of prior gains, with rates dropping to historic lows of 385 in 2013 under data-driven proactive strategies before rising sharply afterward. In critiques of ' SAFE-T Act, enacted in 2023 to eliminate cash , McCarthy has contended that it prioritizes defendants' rights over victims', enabling repeat offenders to be released quickly and exacerbating and public safety risks. Speaking in July 2025, he highlighted how the law hampers by limiting of violent suspects, stating it "benefits criminals" and requires legislative fixes to restore balance, as evidenced by sustained crime challenges in implementation areas. Empirical patterns post-reform, including elevated pretrial release rates for serious offenses, align with his view that such measures weaken deterrence without adequate alternatives. McCarthy has also faulted federal consent decrees, such as Chicago's 2019 agreement mandating reduced investigatory stops, for correlating with de-policing and subsequent surges, including a 2016 homicide spike linked to fewer pedestrian interventions. While acknowledging the need for , he emphasized in 2025 discussions that these oversight mechanisms often prioritize complaint metrics over outcomes like reductions, advocating data-informed adjustments rather than blanket restrictions on . His position draws from operational experience, where pre-reform tactics yielded measurable declines, contrasting with post-decree trends showing over 50% drops in stops alongside rising fatalities.

Advocacy for data-driven and proactive strategies

McCarthy has long championed , a data-driven policing model originating in the Police Department where he served from 1982 to 2000, as a core tool for identifying crime hotspots through real-time statistical analysis and enabling rapid resource deployment to prevent offenses proactively rather than merely responding to incidents. During his tenure as Newark Police Director from 2006 to 2011, he implemented alongside targeted enforcement strategies, which he credits with substantial crime reductions, including a focus on pedestrian stops to disrupt patterns of gang and based on . In , as from 2011 to 2015, McCarthy adapted for weekly accountability meetings that analyzed granular crime data to guide proactive patrols, contributing to four consecutive years of overall crime declines and the lowest incidents since the 1960s by 2014. He describes CompStat not as an end in itself but as a management framework to derive targeted solutions, emphasizing its role in fostering accountability among commanders by holding them responsible for trends in their districts and adjusting tactics accordingly. McCarthy advocates for its integration with real-time crime centers, which aggregate data from cameras, sensors, and reports to enable predictive interventions, as seen in Chicago's 2013-2014 murder rate drops to levels not witnessed since 1964 through such preemptive measures. Post-departure from Chicago, he has reiterated the necessity of maintaining these strategies amid policy shifts, arguing in 2025 interviews that abandoning data-driven approaches in favor of reactive or restrictive models undermines law enforcement's ability to anticipate and suppress crime surges. McCarthy's proactive philosophy extends to emphasizing empirical metrics over ideological constraints, asserting that tools like reveal causal links between concentrated enforcement in high-risk areas and deterrence effects, as evidenced by historical declines under similar regimes in jurisdictions he led. He critiques deviations from these methods as politically motivated, linking them to rising urban violence, and urges sustained commitment to data analytics for , warning that politicized retreats from erode public safety gains achieved through verifiable statistical progress.

Perspectives on urban crime trends and political influences

McCarthy has linked surges in urban violent crime, especially in after his December 2015 dismissal, to political climates that erode police morale and constrain aggressive enforcement. He contends that the movement and associated anti-police rhetoric created a "," prompting officers to reduce proactive patrols and stops out of fear of accusations of bias, thereby allowing gang-related shootings to escalate unchecked. Under his superintendency from 2011 to 2015, saw overall decline by 13% year-over-year by late 2014 and homicides drop to 26-year lows in some periods through targeted interventions like gang "call-ins" and data-driven deployments, trends he argues reversed due to subsequent politicized reforms. In McCarthy's analysis, progressive policy shifts—such as federal consent decrees mandating reduced arrests and stop-and-frisk practices, alongside prosecutorial leniency on gun offenses—directly fuel crime waves by signaling to offenders. He has criticized these as politically motivated constraints that prioritize over empirical outcomes, noting Chicago's count climbing from 432 in 2015 to 771 in 2016 amid such changes, a pattern echoed in other Democrat-led cities but absent in those retaining "broken windows" enforcement like under prior administrations. McCarthy attributes this disparity to ideological influences in urban governance, where left-leaning executives and activists undermine tools like and officer accountability metrics, leading to under-prosecution of violent felons and strained departmental resources. More recently, McCarthy has highlighted state-level political interference, such as Governor J.B. Pritzker's resource allocations during 2020-2025 crime spikes, arguing that such decisions exacerbate local trends by diverting funds from policing to non-enforcement priorities, while welcoming additional federal or state support for street-level operations. He maintains that is not demographically inevitable but causally tied to choices favoring over deterrence, citing Newark's reductions under his 2006-2011 leadership—down over 60% via analytics—as evidence that apolitical, metrics-focused strategies succeed where ideologically driven ones fail.

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