Heather Daniel named new 16th (Jefferson Park) Police District commander
by BRIAN NADIG
Lieutenant Heather Daniel has been appointed the new commander of the 16th (Jefferson Park) Police District, replacing the recently retired Maureen Biggane.
“I want to congratulate her as she brings more than two decades of knowledge and experience to her new assignment,” Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown tweeted after Daniel was sworn in as commander on Wednesday, June 1.
The 16th District includes many Northwest Side communities, including Edgebrook, Wildwood, Edison Park, Oriole Park, Norwood Park, Gladstone Park, Jefferson Park, Dunning and Portage Park.
Daniel has been a lieutenant since 2019, and in 2021 she received the Superintendent’s Award of Merit.
Daniel, who grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri, graduated from the University of Chicago. “I fell in love with Chicago and stayed,” she said.
Daniel worked on the Journal of Political Economy at the university’s business school but eventually decided to seek a law enforcement career. In the Chicago Police Department, Daniel has.worked in several districts and units, including organized crime and internal affairs.
Several years ago Daniel took a leave of absence from the department after she got a law degree and worked on the legal staff for the Illinois House Democrats. She said that she enjoys policy matters and that for the department one of her roles included reviewing legislation that could impact the police.
She has lived in the 16th District for 15 years.
“I’m super excited to work with the community,” Daniel said “I’m going to get the lay of the land,” including a review of the district’s crime-fighting strategies, she added.
The 16th District has experienced an overall 36 percent increase in serious crimes in 2022 when compared to the same period last year, mostly due to a rise in property crimes, including car thefts and burglaries. The number of reported motor vehicle thefts is 356 compared to 208 during the same period in 2021, representing a 71-percent increase.
The district reportedly is down several dozen officers in recent months when compared to a few years ago, as officers who normally do not go on patrol have been assigned to work beats on some shifts.
Biggane retired last month after nearly 30 years on the police force.
