- The security director at Chicago Public Schools has resigned to return to the Chicago Police Department, officials with CPS and police said tonight.
Michael Shields joined the school district as director of security in 2009. His annual salary was $150,000, according to CPS.
His last day with CPS was Friday, said CPS spokeswoman Becky Carroll.
Shields was formerly a deputy superintendent with the Police Department. He was reported to be a candidate for the Chicago police superintendent’s job earlier this year, before Mayor Rahm Emanuel hired Garry McCarthy for the job.
He is returning to the Police Department as a lieutenant, a department spokesman said.
Shields is a cousin of First Lady Michelle Obama.
Media, how about asking a few pointed questions?
- Why a $50,000 pay cut? Nobility of purpose? A higher calling? Or just another bit of smoke-and-mirrors for a higher paying job once he gets "re-treaded" through the Academy?
- And speaking of "re-treading," how come the Department spent a few years firing/forcing resignations/refusing to extend any Leaves of Absence for longer than a year, but here's someone gone for two years with no penalty? Oh wait - two sets of rules. We forgot.
- Has anyone in the media run the record of civil suits? Once again, two sets of rules we suppose.
- Why isn't the media interviewing J-Fled? Here's a guy who can't stand not having his mug on TV and who actually demoted Shields at the beginning of his tenure, yet no one is grabbing him for a tell all about the politics of the CPD? Gee, either J-Fled was bought off or J-Fled has been co-opted into the corruption that is Chicago. Are we wrong?
We guess we know exactly who isn't running the Department. That had to be the shortest puppet show in CPD history.