The Chicago Police Department on Friday announced the promotion of a longtime department supervisor to oversee the detectives who investigate the most serious crimes in the city’s downtown area and across the North Side.
James Labbe, who joined CPD in 2001, is the new commander of Area 3 detectives, where he most recently served as lieutenant of property crimes. Before that, he was a supervisor in CPD’s Englewood District (7th) on the South Side, the department said in a release. Labbe is an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard reserve and a former U.S. Army reservist.
Labbe’s promotion comes five months after the retirement of the previous Area 3 commander, Rodney Hill.
In the interim, though, detectives on the North Side were overseen by Lt. Sam Cirone, another CPD veteran who was involved in the bungled probe of the punch thrown by a nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley that left a young man dead in 2004. Cirone was recommended for a year-long suspension, but the Chicago Police Board in 2019 opted to issue him a reprimand instead.
A CPD spokesperson said Cirone remains a lieutenant in Area 3, where about 200 detectives are assigned, according to records from the city’s Office of Inspector General.
Along with Labbe, Snelling also announced the promotions of Evelynna Quarterman to Deputy Chief of CPD’s Administration and Support Division and Sheamus Mannion to commander of the Central District (1st).