Michael Shields, CPS Security Chief And Michelle Obama's Cousin, Resigns, Returns to Police Force

With only a few weeks to go before schools citywide open their doors to students, the Chicago Public Schools' head of security, Michael Shields, has resigned from his $150,000-a-year post to return to the Chicago Police Department.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Shields' last day on the job was Friday and that other members of the school system's safety and security team will be picking up the day-to-day operations slack while administrators look for the outgoing chief's replacement.

A school system spokesperson told ABC7 that, despite the seemingly abrupt resignation, the anti-violence and safety "[p]rograms will continue to operate. Services will continue to be provided. Nothing is coming to a screeching halt by any means."

Shields, a first cousin to First Lady Michelle Obama, will be returning to the CPD as a lieutenant -- the same position he held before he joined CPS as their safety and security director in 2009, according to ABC7.

Shields was once a part of former CPD head Jody Weis' command staff, serving as deputy superintendent of strategic deployment (a position currently salaried at nearly $179,000 annually, before mandatory furloughs). He was demoted from that post in late 2008, when he was named the lieutenant of the Belmont area station.

Shields was, at a time, rumored to be one of the principal candidates to succeed Weis as CPD superintendent, thanks to his close ties with the Obama family and the city's new mayor Rahm Emanuel.