Every Chicago PD detective ranked from worst to best

Chicago PD has some great detectives, but how do they rank?

When introduced as a “backdoor pilot” on Chicago Fire, Chicago PD took a bit to get going. The original idea was to balance the show between the top-level Intelligence Unit and the patrol cops. As it’s gone on, that’s been shifted to just the Unit yet still shows some good police work amid the difficulties the cops face, not just from criminals but the politics of the CPD.

The show has seen a lot of detectives come and go, and it’s tricky to figure out who’s really the best of the bunch. Note this is for detectives, so as terrific as Trudy Platt is, she won’t count. Here’s how each detective in Chicago PD ranks from worst to best to show how all are dedicated to seeing justice done in the Windy City. 

Vanessa Rojas

It might be unfair to judge Vanessa Rojas as the least effective member of the Intelligence Unit. She was only on for one season, so we didn’t get to see as much of her as other cops. She did rise up from a difficult childhood to shoot up the ranks of the academy right to detective to show her smarts. She also adapted to the Unit better than expected. 

Rojas had a good connection with Atwater yet was held back by her passions and once got in trouble covering for a former flame involved in a case. Sadly, not only was she written off after one season but barely mentioned since so even the show appears to have forgotten about her, making her the least effective cop on the unit. 

Sheldon Jin

This Season 1 character was the team’s tech guy, which should have made him a good cop. Unfortunately, Jin was blackmailed by some bosses to be the mole trying to catch Voight in illegal wrongdoing. He also collected blackmail material from other officers in hopes of keeping the heat off the team. 

Jin was rarely in the field and when it came to finding information, he was the best. But his secrets took their toll on him, keeping him distant from the rest of the team. It ended with him being murdered as part of a plot against Hank and one of the more forgettable characters on the team. 

Kiana Cook

As the newest cop on the team, it’s a bit early yet to judge Kiana Cook. However, she showed her grit when she leapt into the field to help Ruzek chase a cop killer and never lost her cool during it. That led her to join after aiding in a case involving a serial killer. 

We don’t know too much about Cook yet, but she seems pretty dedicated to the job and willing to call out her fellow cops about some issues. She’s learning well and could go further. As of now, she’s still the newbie on the team  to place her lower, but there is potential for her to rise up more. 

Dante Torres

Dante Torres may mean well, but there’s no denying that he can be his own worst enemy. That comes up with stuff like his past as a gang member or how he’s spent much of his time away tending to his ailing mother. He can be tough in the field and is trying to prove himself, yet he can make mistakes.

The biggest has to be his relationship with Gloria. Sleeping with a criminal informant is bad enough, but ignoring her clearly falling into becoming a drug dealer is worse. It’s shown poor judgment by Torres and puts him on Hank’s bad side. Torres can hopefully redeem himself, but this terrible mistake takes away some of his standing as a good cop. 

Antonino Dawson

For a while, Antonio Dawson was one of the best officers in the unit. By the book, for the most part, he was a level-headed presence who kept everyone else going and could fight to keep his temper under control. He was a good balance for Voight and an honorable cop, bending the rules from time to time yet still capable on the job. He even had a brief stint working for the Chicago attorney’s office on the short-lived Chicago Justice.

Sadly, it went badly for Dawson when an injury got him addicted to painkillers. He sunk deeper, ticking off a dealer who kidnapped his daughter and then killing the guy in a rage. He eventually broke, leaving the force to head to Puerto Rico and rebuild his life. It was sad to see Antonio’s demons overcome him to tarnish much of his good work on the CPD.

Jay Halstead

As a former soldier, Jay Halstead had all the skills to be a top cop. However, it was always clear his brash attitude and willingness to jump into danger always worked against him. That combined with his inability to mind his own business as more than once and dumb moves like sleeping with a suspect’s sister which, drew him into some criminal activity. 

Halstead has been through a lot on the job, shot a few times, nearly broken accidentally shooting a young girl and that temper still hurting him. He seemed to realize he’d gone too far shooting a suspect to leave Chicago and close out a troublesome run as a cop. 

Hailey Upton

When Hank Voight is calling you out on your cowboy tactics, you’re pushing it. Hailey Upton was always a strident cop often obsessed with the job when she crossed paths with the Intelligence Unit on a case. Her skills landed her a job with them, yet she could push things in a dangerous direction. Season 7 saw her breaking major rules when she realized a CI was as bad a crook as the ones he was going against and set up his death. 

It got worse when her marriage to Halstead went south, with him leaving town and Upton throwing herself into work above all else. She could still do a good job, hunting a serial killer and such, but it was clear she was nearing a breaking point. Her leaving was probably good for her as Upton was a good cop but her inner troubles were a shadow over her time on the CPD.

Adam Ruzek

A few of the issues with Adam Ruzek is how he went right from the Academy to Intelligence, so he lacked the street experience of other cops. That led him to be pretty brash in the early going, although that’s thankfully been tempered over the years. Still, Adam can jump into things and try too hard to please Voight as well as his patrolman father. That’s gotten him in trouble a few times.

However, Adam is still a good cop with sharp instincts. His relationship with Burgess has humanized him, especially by becoming a foster dad for young Makayla and learning on the job. That temper can still flare, yet Ruzek proved he was good at moving right to Intelligence and one of the top cops on the show. 

Kevin Atwater

Starting on the show as a patrol cop, Kevin Atwater’s skills were evident when he was promoted to Intelligence by the end of the first season. It is notable how he was a more jovial guy in uniform only to become more jaded working the tougher crimes. His street skills are excellent for undercover work and woe to anyone who tries to push his buttons regarding his race. 

Atwater really proved himself when he took on the “blue wall” to call out racism and corruption in the Chicago PD. That got him some major flack, yet he stuck to his guns, including ready to quit to back up his words. He can still have problems with his troublesome brother and is more jaded by his experiences yet that only proves Atwater’s dedication to being a cop is for the right reasons. 

Kim Burgess

It’s been amazing to see Kim Burgess rise up on Chicago PD. She started as a newbie patrol cop, a bit too eager and prone to mistakes. Yet Burgess showed her smarts and was pretty dedicated to eventually jump to the big leagues. Like others on the unit, she’d become jaded, losing that innocence and the added pressure of becoming a mom and together with Ruzek. Throw in a near-death experience, and Burgess could have been broken. 

Instead, she keeps going and her sharp eye lets her figure out a case before some of the other cops can. Her recent promotion to full detective was long overdue and showed how well she’s risen up the ranks. Burgess is no longer the wide-eyed gal on the force but a key part of the Intelligence Unit and a fan favorite. 

Alvin Olinsky

As Hank’s oldest friend, Al Olinsky was a true CPD veteran with his share of secrets. He was known for his quiet manner yet said more in a hushed tone than anyone screaming. While he could be by the book most of the time, Al had no problem bending the rules to the point Hank had to talk him down. He was caring and paternal of the younger cops but also wary they wouldn’t turn into him. 

That’s because Al’s personal life was messy with a daughter from another woman, a ruined marriage and pretty bitter at times. Yet he was still an amazing cop the rest of the unit respected, which made it heartbreaking when he was killed while in jail on trumped-up charges. It left a big hole in the team as for all his faults, Al’s tenure as a cop was one of Chicago PD’s best. 

Erin Lindsay 

Growing up as the daughter Hank never had, Erin was dedicated to the job and clearly emulated Voight a bit. That could get her in hot water at times, yet it never took away from her dedication to the job. She had a heart, proven by her mentoring young Nadia and rocked hard when the young woman was killed. She was a true cop, as shown when her attempt to join the feds failed as she was too much a street cop to fit there. 

Erin’s romantic and family issues were troublesome to say the least and her crossing lines is what led to her leaving Chicago. Sophia Bush made the character so relatable, tough, and strident in the field, so no wonder fans were upset when Erin left. It showed that if anyone followed Hank’s lead in the unit, Erin was it. 

Hank Voight

Yes, Hank Voight more than bends the rules to get the job done. He’s crossed way too many lines, including open murder and by rights should have been kicked off the force a long time ago. But sometimes, it takes a cop like Hank to see justice done. He even calls himself a “necessary evil” to go where others won’t and it’s hard to argue with his success. Given the kinds of crooks the Unit goes against, a maverick like Voight will get the job done more than a saintly cop.

If anything, Hank has softened a bit since Chicago PD began, more caring for his cops and mindful of his own standing. He’ll still bend the rules where he sees fit yet some lines he won’t cross anymore. He even warns other cops not to follow his lead too much or risk turning into him. Hank may not be the most sterling cop to ever wear a badge but he’s the only one who could keep the Intelligence Unit going as well as it does. 

Chicago PD Seasons 1-12 streaming on Peacock.