James O’Grady, former CPD Supt. and Cook County Sheriff, dies at 96

Over decades, James O’Grady worked his way up through the ranks of law enforcement, eventually leading the Chicago Police Department and later the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.

But no matter the title, he was always a cop first.

“He was selfless for being a boss,” Neil Sullivan, a former police commander and deputy sheriff under O’Grady told the Sun-Times. “He always believed in the welfare of the men and women of the department, as he would call them, the troops. They were always preeminent in his mind.”

O’Grady, who was with the police department from 1952 to 1984 followed by one-term as sheriff, died Monday. He was 96 years old.

Though the end of his career was marred by controversy, O’Grady was “well respected” within the police department and a role model for future leaders, according to former CPD Supt. Phil Cline.

"He never forgot the cops on the street and what they needed to get the job done, and he was there to back them up,” Cline said. “He set an example for those of us that came after him.”

The son of Irish immigrants, O’Grady was born Jan. 21, 1929, according to a death notice. His father, Thomas, was a Chicago police sergeant.

In 1952, O’Grady himself joined the police department. He became a sergeant two years later, and continued to move up in the department. O’Grady had a few close calls on the job. He was shot in 1971 while chasing after a purse snatcher in the Loop.

“He was a commander of a police district at the time... that was a really unusual situation in the fact that he went out, put his life out there, and ended up being shot,” Sullivan said. "He wasn't too big a person to do his job."

While recovering in the hospital, O’Grady told reporters: “The first thing that flashed through my mind was my wife and children.”

A fellow officer added: “This is typical of O’Grady. He wasn’t worried about himself. He was worried about his wife and five children and what it would be like for them if he was killed at Christmas time.”

Throughout his career, O’Grady was known as a “cop’s cop,” who liked picking up the tab for fellow officers on lunch at Manny’s or the former Blue Angel, according to his death notice.

In 1978, he was appointed superintendent of the department but his tenure was short-lived. Former Mayor Jane Byrne campaigned on a promise of replacing him, accusing him of “politicizing” the job.

After she was elected in April 1979, O’Grady walked into her office and resigned. Bryne would later walk back those claims when O’Grady assumed the position of First Deputy Superintendent just years later.

O’Grady officially resigned from the police department in 1984.

About a year later, the Republican party approached O’Grady, a Democrat, about running for office. He switched parties and entered the race for Cook County sheriff.

Politics wasn’t a natural choice for O’Grady, according to Sulllivan. “He was kind of the reluctant warrior.”

O’Grady defeated 16-year incumbent Richard Elrod in Nov. 1986, after running on a vow to rid the office of corruption. It was the first time in a decade a Republican had won a county-wide seat.

But O’Grady only served one-term, failing to win re-election in 1990 amid a series of corruption scandals. The feds launched an investigation into ghost payroll practices under O’Grady’s tenure. He was never indicted of any crimes but his undersheriff, James Dvorak, was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the scheme.

O’Grady was a graduate of DePaul University and a longtime parishioner of St. Mary of the Woods Parish, according to his death notice.

Outside of law enforcement, O’Grady was an avid golfer who loved to sing old Irish tunes, according to Sullivan.

Joan, his wife of 67 years, preceded him in death. He leaves behind five children and dozens of grandchildren and great-children.

A visitation is planned Saturday, Jan. 10, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. mass at St. Mary of the Woods Church, 6955 N. Hiawatha Ave.