Violence Reduction Network (VRN) Webinar:
Recruiting a Diverse Police Department Through Digital
Outreach
Date: April 21, 2016
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time
A police department that reflects the ethnic, gender and racial makeup of the communities it serves helps to
build trust and improve relationships. Commitment to encouraging diversity in the police force has immense
value both internally and externally.
This past winter, candidates were invited to apply to the Chicago Police Department for the first time in three
years. Of the 14,000 applicants that responded to the announcement, 71 percent identified as a minority.
Maintaining a police force that represents the community it serves is a top priority in Chicago and across the
country. Join this Webinar to learn about how Chicago developed a 12-week digital outreach campaign to
bolster minority recruitment and lessons learned that will improve efforts in the future.
During this Webinar, participants will hear from (1) Deputy Chief Eric Washington from the Chicago
Police Department, (2) Commissioner Soo Choi from the Chicago Department of Human Resources, and
(3) Max Bever from the public relations firm Kivvit.
The objectives of this Webinar are to:
• Discuss the importance of diversity for building trust in the community.
• Provide an overview of Chicago’s minority recruitment strategy.
• Discuss steps for implementation of a digital outreach campaign.
• Provide insight on challenges, achievements, and lessons learned.
There is no registration fee or cost to participate in the Webinar.
Registration Link: https://www.iir.com/Home/Event_Registration/VRN-Webinar-04212016
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Deputy Chief Eric Washington, Community Policing, Chicago Police Department
Eric Washington has served as the Deputy Chief of Community Policing for the Chicago Police
Department since 2015, where he works hand-in-hand with the Patrol Division and Chicago
Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) personnel to better coordinate the department’s numerous
community policing efforts and initiatives.
Deputy Chief Washington has spent 29 years with the department, including serving as the
Commander of the 011 District, where he helped reduce crime and violence. He also served as the
Commander of the Narcotics Division and has accumulated nearly 60 awards and honors throughout
his career. He was recently recognized by the MetLife Foundation for his district’s extraordinary community partnerships to
reduce youth violence.
Commissioner Soo Choi, Chicago Department of Human Resources
Soo Choi was appointed Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources by Mayor
Rahm Emanuel in 2011.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Choi served as a Deputy Inspector General in Chicago’s Inspector
General’s Office, where she led its Hiring Oversight Section, which is responsible for monitoring
the city’s hiring and employment compliance with the law and protocols imposed under the Shakman
Accord. She also previously served as an Assistant Inspector General. Before working in the
government sector, she was an associate at the law firms Much Shelist and Kirkland & Ellis LLP
and clerked for the Honorable James B. Zagel in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Ms. Choi received her Juris Doctorate from Cornell Law School, her Master of Arts in the Humanities from the University of
Chicago, and her undergraduate degree in English from Duke University.
Max Bever, Principal, Kivvit
As a Principal at Kivvit, Max Bever has worked on large-scale public relations projects, including
campaigns for Illinois Unites for Marriage, Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, Google, and Choose
Chicago.
Before joining Kivvit, Mr. Bever served as the director of communications for Chicago Alderman
Tom Tunney. In this role, he acted as 44th Ward spokesman and worked closely on several public
affairs initiatives. Prior to that, he worked as a press aide in the Illinois governor’s office, where he
advised senior communications staff on media messaging and outreach.
Mr. Bever graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a degree in Political Science and English and earned his Master
of Science in Communication at Northwestern University.