LeRoy Martin
Martin, c. 1981
56th Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department
In office
November 18, 1987[1] – January 29, 1992[1]
Appointed byHarold Washington
Preceded byFred Rice Jr.
Succeeded byMatt Rodriguez
Personal details
Born1929 (1929)[1]
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedAugust 31, 2013(2013-08-31) (aged 83–84)
Dyer, Indiana, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Constance B. Martin
​
(m. 1954)​
[2][3]
Children3
Alma materRoosevelt University
Occupation
  • Police officer
  • superintendent
Police career
DepartmentChicago Police Department
Service years1955−1992
RankSuperintendent (sworn in November 1987)

LeRoy Martin (1929[1] − August 31, 2013) was an American police officer for the Chicago Police Department.[4] In November 1987, Martin became the third African-American and second permanent to serve as superintendent of the department, following the retirement of Fred Rice Jr. (who is noted as the Chicago first permanent African-American police superintendent, Samuel Nolan was the Chicago's first African-American police superintendent who served as interim in 1979).

Biography

Early life and education

Martin was born the fourth of five children in 1929[1] in Chicago, Illinois.[2] His parents migrated to Chicago from Grenada, Mississippi in the early-1920s.[2] Martin's father was a pullman porter. Martin was raised in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the city's west side, attending Richard T. Crane Technical High School.[2] Martin later earned a master's degree in Public Administration and a bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University.[5]

Career

In the 1950s, Martin worked as a bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority.[5] Martin joined the Chicago Police Department in 1955 as a patrolman in the Woodlawn and Burnside neighborhoods on the city's south side.[5] Martin was appointed superintendent of the Chicago Police Department by mayor Harold Washington on November 18, 1987. Martin served as superintendent until January 1992.[5] After his term as superintendent, Martin served as the Director of Public Safety for the Chicago Housing Authority from 1992 until 1994.[5] Thereafter, Martin worked in the private sector security director for Central Management Services.[5] In 1998, Martin ran as a Republican, challenging Michael F. Sheahan to be the Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois.[5] Martin was unsuccessful.

Personal life and death

Martin was married to Constance B. Martin[2][3] at the time of his death, having been married since 1954. Together, they had three children, Ron, LeRoy Jr.,[3] and Dawn.[5] Martin died of a heart attack on August 31, 2013, aged 84, in Dyer, Indiana.[6] A funeral service was held for Martin on September 6, 2013, gathering hundreds.[7]

Electoral history

1998 Cook County Sheriff Republican primary[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican LeRoy Martin 107,868 100
Total votes 107,868 100
1998 Cook County Sheriff election[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Michael F. Sheahan (incumbent) 903,053 71.11
Republican LeRoy Martin 366,867 28.89
Total votes 1,269,920 100

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Heads of the Chicago Police Department". ChicagoCop.com. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 WTTW Chicago (VIDEO), Remembering Chicago Police Superintendent LeRoy Martin, 9/2/2013
  3. 1 2 3 JUDGE LeROY MARTIN JR. TRANSLATES LIFE LESSONS INTO SERVICE
  4. ↑ Former Chicago Police Superintendent LeRoy Martin dies at 84
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "LONGTIME COPS VIE FOR SHERIFF'S BADGE". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. October 7, 1998. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  6. ↑ Former Chicago Police Superintendent LeRoy Martin Dies
  7. ↑ Former Chicago police Supt. LeRoy Martin mourned
  8. ↑ "OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS PRIMARY ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1998" (PDF). cookcountyclerkil.com.
  9. ↑ "OFFICIAL FINAL RESULTS GENERAL ELECTION COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1998" (PDF). results.cookcountyclerkil.gov.
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