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 J.P. "Jody" Weis, the head of the FBI's Philadelphia office, was named to replace police Superintendent Phil Cline, who announced his retirement earlier this year.
Some officers had "fundamentally abused their trust" with Chicagoans and it is Weis' job to fix that and fight the "gangs, guns and drugs" that plague some neighborhoods, Daley said at a news conference.
The City Council still needs to approve Weis' appointment.
Weis, 49, is a 22-year veteran of the FBI and has done stints in Chicago, Los Angeles and Texas. He was part of the FBI's bust of men accused of plotting to kill U.S. soldiers in an attack on Fort Dix, N.J.
Weis said Daley made it clear to him that the public's confidence in the department needs to be rebuilt. A number of high-profile incidents have put the spotlight on police officer conduct.
The department is disbanding an elite anti-street gang unit after seven members were accused of abusing civilians. One officer was charged with plotting to kill a colleague who may have testified in the case.
The city also got widespread attention this year when an off-duty officer was charged with beating a female bartender, an incident caught on videotape that Weis called "horrific."
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 Charges also were filed against other officers accused of beating some businessmen at a downtown tavern.
Declaring that "no one is above the law," Weis said officers would be disciplined or prosecuted if they break department rules or the law. But he said accused officers should be treated fairly.
The way to stop bad behavior by officers is with "stern leadership," said Weis, who has worked in the FBI's office of professional responsibility. "I've got to set the tone right from the beginning ... that this type of behavior won't be tolerated," he said.
He would start in January and be paid $300,000 -- higher than the mayor's salary
-- because Weis would have a dual role as police superintendent and chief emergency officer, said Daley spokeswoman Jacquelyn Heard.
Flint Taylor, an attorney who handles police brutality cases, said it will take more than a new police chief to solve problems within the department.
"There has to be a new attitude from the mayor and the administration if these systemic problems of police misconduct and brutality are to be properly dealt with," Taylor said.
[Associated
Press; by DEANNA BELLANDI]
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