Investigations
Chicago Police Pull Plug on ‘Roll Call’ Podcast Launched as Community Outreach Tool
(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
“Roll Call,” the podcast produced by the Chicago Police Department, quietly faded into the sunset following the exit of the former superintendent who launched the show, the department has confirmed.
“The podcast has ended,” a spokesperson wrote in response to questions submitted via email. “We will continue to share the work of our department through other mediums.”
Records in recent months show the exit of multiple staff members connected to the project. According to her LinkedIn profile and city records, former host Miriam Sobh started a role at an engineering and project-management firm in August following her departure from CPD.
Jon Hein, the former chief of patrol first credited as the executive producer of the program, retired May 31. Joshua Wallace, a former police commander who appeared as a host, confirmed he retired from the department in July.
That was five days before the latest episode of the podcast was published. Created a little more than a year ago, a new “Roll Call” podcast was updated almost every month before the most recent episode went live.
The former hosts denied their exit was because of the end of “Roll Call” when asked in September.
“My decision to retire from the CPD was not related to the podcast. After almost three decades with the department, I decided it was time for the next chapter of life,” Wallace responded in an email. “I enjoyed being part of the podcast, but I can’t speak to the department’s plans for it.”
His former cohost was similarly unclear about the future of the program.
“I have no idea if it ended,” Sobh wrote. “I left CPD to focus on my own projects.”
In total, the department produced 15 episodes and a trailer. The entire series runtime was slightly more than 200 minutes.
Reporting by WTTW News first revealed the costs behind the podcast, a broader examination of the department’s growing communications staff and its approach to community engagement.
The show was launched with public fanfare by former CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling in 2025. Snelling, the first guest interviewed on “Roll Call,” resigned this July.
While the podcast was billed as a tool to strengthen community ties, available metrics suggested it struggled to attract the level of audience participation seen in some smaller suburban police podcast efforts.
Publicly available traffic and metrics for the show remained consistent in recent months.
The show interviewed staff and community members about issues that affect the department. It was produced by the Bureau of Patrol.
WTTW News investigative coverage is supported in part by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. WTTW News coverage of policing and police reform is supported by The Joyce Foundation.
Contact Jared Rutecki: @JaredRutecki | [email protected]
