Yolanda Talley named as the first female to serve as the second-in-command as the Deputy Superintendent in the Chicago Police Department

CHICAGO (WLS) — Yolanda Talley is the new second-in-command at the Chicago Police Department, and she’s making history.

She is the first woman to ever hold the position of first deputy superintendent.

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ABC7 Chicago spoke exclusively with Talley about her experience on the force, and what it brings to her leadership role.

It’s a place Talley never imagined she’d be.

“I started January 1995, and first deputy superintendent was John Townsend,” she said.

Along the wall of pictures of the Chicago Police Department’s first deputy superintendents, all have been men and mostly white, until now.

“Our department has come a long way, and lets you know where we are,” Talley said.

Talley, a 30-year department veteran made history as the first woman and first Black woman to serve as CPD’s latest first deputy superintendent. She’s now second-in-command to top cop Larry Snelling. The office had been vacant for nearly two years.

“Everyone around me is excited; so, that makes it really easy for me, but I’m up for the challenge,” Talley said.

She’s only been on the job three weeks, after being sworn in on March 17.

In the No. 2 spot, she’s responsible for overseeing much of the department’s day-to-day operations.

Her vision includes more professional development officers, increasing the number of women on the job and addressing the challenge of building trust in the community.

“It is a No. 1 priority because I came from one of those communities, where no one wanted to be the police,” Talley said.

Born and raised on the city’s West Side, 56-year old Talley attended DePaul University, and moved up the ranks. She said she never saw herself as a boss.

She headed up the department’s internal affairs bureau, and before that she was commander of the 15th District in the Austin neighborhood.

It’s something she says prepared her for leadership.

“I do think a lot about how I’m gonna move next; I do think about being a decision-maker and how important decisions that I make are to the men and women of the Chicago Police Department,” Talley said.

Despite her successes, Talley’s career at CPD has not been without controversy.

She caught some heat in February of 2022 after loaning her niece her car, which was then involved in a drug arrest.

Talley was not involved, and it was determined she did nothing wrong.

“It a horrible experience, absolutely,” Talley said.

And while Talley has moved on from the incident, she says it only served to strengthen her commitment to her family, the department and the people of the city of Chicago.

“It is a personal achievement, but I think I am in representation of what we can do,” Talley said.