Photo Credit: Asher Heimermann, Wikimedia Commons
In a major investment aimed at curbing gun violence in Chicago, the Sue Ling Gin Foundation has pledged $15 million over the next five years to train Chicago Police Department (CPD) supervisors in leadership and management.
The initiative will provide advanced education in ethical leadership, data-driven decision-making, officer wellness, and community trust building—skills that experts say are essential to making lasting change in policing and public safety.
The Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago will receive the donation and partner with the University of Chicago Crime Lab to develop and run the program. The effort builds on CPD’s existing reforms, including 40 hours of annual training now required for all officers.
“Corporations do this kind of continuing education all the time, but government agencies are often unable to prioritize this kind of investment,” said Robert Hamada, former Dean at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and trustee of the Sue Ling Gin Foundation. “The partnership among the business, academic, and non-profit sectors and the police department reflects Chicago’s collective commitment to reduce gun violence.”
Superintendent Larry Snelling said the gift comes at a crucial moment for the city.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen safety and build trust across the city, we have to invest in the frontline supervisors who are managing day-to-day operations,” Snelling said. “We are deeply grateful to the Sue Ling Gin Foundation for its partnership and support in making this a reality.”
The Crime Lab’s new training initiative is modeled after its Policing Leadership Academy, a national program that prepares police commanders from high-violence districts to make smarter, data-informed decisions. The Crime Lab also runs a similar program for leaders of community violence intervention groups.
The Civic Committee’s Public Safety Task Force, which will oversee the initiative, has been active in pushing for reform and investment in public safety. In 2023, the task force rolled out a multi-part plan that included scaling up community violence intervention programs and increasing support for police reform.
“This investment in police leadership development is exactly in line with the late Jim Crown’s vision for the Task Force,” said co-chairs Mark Hoplamazian and Eric Smith. “We believe this training will help police supervisors develop their leadership skillsets and help make all of Chicago safer.”
Katie Hill, executive director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab, called the investment both timely and transformative.
“Gun violence sits upstream of almost every other pressing challenge facing Chicago and other cities,” Hill said. “With this unprecedented, evidence-informed investment in the human capital of our police leaders, Chicago is leading the way in meeting this challenge head-on.”
Sue Ling Gin, who passed away in 2014, was a renowned Chicago entrepreneur and philanthropist. She founded Flying Food Group and held several West Loop properties, serving on the boards of numerous nonprofit and civic organizations. She was also a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Economic Club of Chicago.
This latest gift reflects her ongoing legacy of civic investment—and her commitment to building a safer, more equitable Chicago.
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