Will Atwater get promoted on Chicago PD? What's next for him in season 12?

Kevin Atwater doesn't get as much screen time as his IU peers, but he always makes it count. He delivered the final blow (literally) against the bad guys in the season 10 finale, and he led one of the most exciting episodes in season 11, "Water Line."

As anybody who's been keeping up with Chicago PD knows, there's been some major personnel changes. Jay Halstead (Jesse Lee Soffer) and Hailey Upton (Tracy Spiridakos) are both gone, and while Dante Torres (Benjamin Levy Aguilar) has filled in for the former, there's a vacancy left by the other. Veterans like Atwater are more important than ever.

LaRoyce Hawkins is pushing for Atwater's promotion

This is why we believe a promotion is around the corner. The character has been a part of the show and the IU since day one, and has proven himself to be a reliable presence in the precinct. LaRoyce Hawkins, the actor who plays Atwater, even addressed the idea of a promotion during an interview with Cinemablend.

Hawkins felt that his character was due, and is reaching a point where he should be moving up in the precinct:

"It feels like we're on the way. It's hard to say how close we are, but we're definitely on the way, I have to believe."

This was said back in February 2024. Hawkins claimed that Atwater is only one of the IU characters who deserves a promotion to detective in the near future. He also pointed to Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) and Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) as prime examples.

Making detective is high on Atwater's list

"I watch other people on this team do their best as well," the actor explained. "And I'm picking up everything they're putting down." Hawkins has actually been pushing for his character's promotion since 2023. He went as far as to tell Cinemablend that making detective is very high on Atwater's priority list, as far as his profession goes:

"I ain't gonna lie to you. I think Atwater's ambition is to make detective for a few reasons. And I think one of them is because of the odds that he's had to face. "

It's been a long time coming, and we hope, for both Hawkins' and Atwater's sake, that the character gets the promotion in season 12.