Yolanda Talley stepping down after just months as CPD's second-in-command

The second-ranking Chicago police official is retiring next month after just seven months on the job.

First Deputy Supt. Yolanda Talley, the first Black woman to hold the position, will retire Oct. 15 after 30 years at the Chicago Police Department, according to a statement from the department.

Talley took over the job in March after Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling left the post vacant for the first 17 months of his tenure. But this summer, Snelling significantly scaled back Talley’s role and assumed control of the department's patrol, detective and counterterrorism bureaus.

The department never shared why those responsibilities were shifted from Talley to Snelling, though he’s taken a more hands-on approach to the job than many of his predecessors.

Talley was previously embroiled in a bizarre incident involving a drug bust that centered around her personal vehicle. She wasn’t there, but her niece was driving her Lexus when a man was caught tossing heroin from the car in February 2022.

An investigation by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s office didn’t find that Talley had broken any rules.