After an exhaustive nationwide search that lasted nearly four months, the Chicago Police Boardapproved three finalists for police superintendent.It's a daunting task given the high murder rate, the after effects of the Laquan McDonald video and the ongoing justice department civil rights investigation.

The finalists are Cedric Alexander, currently the chief deputy operating officer for DeKalb County in Georgia; Anne Kirkpatrick, retired chief deputy of King County Washington; and Eugene Williams, current chief of support services in the Chicago Police Department, former chief of patrol and a 36-year veteran of the department.

"This was no ordinary search for a new police superintendent because these are not ordinary times," board president Lori Lightfoot said.

Williams was on the short-list of preferred candidates leaked to “Chicago Tonight” by a group of African-American aldermen, who say they reflected the wishes of many rank-and-file officers. At a time when the department is undergoing a U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation, Lightfoot said she believed Williams could be a change agent even though he's an insider.

"He's not going to be a go along, get along guy," Lightfoot said. "He was candid on where he believed the department had fallen short and candid on how he wanted to fix it."

Lightfoot also praised the credentials of Kirkpatrick, saying that she had implemented innovative crime fighting strategies that, despite applying to smaller jurisdictions, she believed would translate well in Chicago. Lightfoot also praised the record of Alexander, calling to attention his doctorate in clinical psychology.