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Chuck Hargrove is the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department and a friend of mayor Bobby Novak.
History[]
- "As long as Jessica Pearson is part of your administration, we don't have much to talk about."
"You need a contract, Chuck."
"And you need a police force." - ―Chuck Hargrove and Bobby Novak
Chuck Hargrove is a police officer in Chicago who eventually rose to the rank of superintendent. In order for the city to renew their contract with the police department, Mayor Bobby Novak, whom Chuck was friends with, took money out of Public Health. While Chuck was grateful for it, the department's reputation was tarnished by Jessica Pearson after she represented a man who had nearly been beaten to death after being handcuffed by two officers. In addition to affecting their public standing, Jessica also managed to exact a $4 million settlement, causing many in the Chicago Police department to despise her.
Shortly after, Novak hired Jessica to be his fixer, a move found detestable by many affiliated with or a part of the police force. Despite city attorney Keri Allen's efforts, the department and its lawyer, Eric McBride, refused to sign their contract unless Jessica was fired, which Novak could not without being seen as weak and capitulating. One night, Novak came to visit Chuck at a bar frequented by police officers, asking why he hadn't agreed to the contract despite having given him extra money from Public Health. Chuck explained that while he knew what Novak had done, the others in the department did not, and that those who served under him already viewed him as being too friendly with Novak; additionally, he feared losing their respect if he did not make a public move after Novak had hired Jessica, hence why the contract would not be signed. Novak attempted to plea with Chuck, although Chuck merely stated that they would not have a deal so long as he employed Jessica as part of his administration.
The failure to come to terms led to a "blue flu", a term denoting when there is a lack of police presence. Despite the police department being unable to legally strike, a quarter of them suddenly called in sick, which placed lower-income neighborhoods at risk. Jessica came to visit Chuck at the precinct, where Chuck revealed that his true bone with contention was not regarding her employment, but rather that Novak had refused to fill the department's pension fund. Jessica then returned to City Hall and found a loophole that allowed property developers to avoid paying millions in taxes, and had informed Keri that if they were to close that loophole, they could use the money to fund the pension in its entirety. Trusting Jessice, Keri followed through with her suggestion and contacted Chuck, who signed the contract as the pension was filled. Chuck then attended a city press conference where Novak informed the city that the Mayor's Office and the Chicago Police Department had come to terms.[1]
Appearances[]
| Pearson, Season 1 | |||
| #01 | "The Alderman" | #06 | "The Donor" |
| #02 | "The Superintendent" | #07 | "The Immigration Lawyer" |
| #03 | "The Union Leader" | #08 | "The Political Wife" |
| #04 | "The Deputy Mayor" | #09 | "The Rival" |
| #05 | "The Former City Attorney" | #10 | "The Fixer" |