Shortage Doesn't Affect Safety?
- There are fewer police officers on the streets of Chicago than normal. The Chicago Police Department is down 500-officers from what it considers "full strength."
So what does that mean for the city and the safety of Chicago residents?
CBS 2 [...] reports that Chicago police would not say exactly how many officers the department currently has. They estimated it's around 13,000 and they said the shortage wasn't making the city any less safe. However, the union representing more than 11,000 rank-and-file police officers said it doesn't exactly agree with that.
But with over 400 retirements this year and a mere 40 or so recruits graduating, the shortages are bound to increase. The line is getting thinner all the time and it has become a safety issue on more than one occasion.
And it's going to get worse before it gets better.
And it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Labels: department issues
posted by SCC at 12:04 AM
66 Comments:
Drove downtown to a meeting last Thursday morning thru the west side since we knew not a creature would be stirring as it was well before noon. Had lunch downtown & headed back to the NW side. My co-worker remarked that in over 2 hours of driving to & from the Loop, we didn't see a single police car, until we reached Central & Grand.
If murders are down there will never be a reason to be at "full strength". We will never be over 13000 members again. Unless we get the olympics.
reports that Chicago police would not say exactly how many officers the department currently has. They estimated it's around 13,000
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Well, if someone with a bit of time on their hands went to the site that listed all government salaries (http://www.bettergov.org/Research/) Then did a search on City of Chicago, then put them in order by Department, and scroll perhaps to page 303 and start counting all officers (and did not count assigned as det, et, moounted, marine unit) there would perhaps be closer to 9800 PO's.
However, just cursory glancing over their site I see Timothy Fallen still listed as a PO. (Not being disrespectful here) but if they're listing PO's that have since passed, then perhaps they haven't removed any retirees, disabled, or arrested PO's from the list either. So perhaps we're closer to 8800.
Not that I had too much time on my hands, because mine was just a cursory glance, but someone who knows a thing about lists and computers could probably come up with something more scientific.
WE HAVE 8000-9000 OFFICERS ONLY!!!
For the last 6 years or more 500 average a year retired and how many were hired each year?
Do the math!
Da mayor is scrounging every penny depleting public safety for his Olympic Dream.
As well as all the other city services!
Less corruption = better run city!
There has not been a detectives class since 2007 and only half the promotions so far for other ranks that were on the Pax 501??
In 2008 there were 7,253 p.o.s assigned to districts 001 thru 025,exactly one year there are now 6,649. That is a loss of 604 officers in one year. How much more can be done to the officers and the department. Remember this when you are looking for backup on a call. Be safe and go home to your families. They have made us expendable.
The shortage is real and the media should be able to find out. Myself and many have been getting OT because of it. We have been asked to extend our tour a few times due to manpower shortages and worked 3-4 hours into the next tour clearing jobs.
It's absolutely ridiculous that CPD has gone THREE YEARS without a written examination.
Let's try to put the math together, here. It takes, at the minimum, a year and a half from the day of the written exam for applicants to reach the academy. Include the academy itself and we're looking at two years from the examination date to when PPO's are assigned to their designated districts
Does anyone really believe that enough eligible recruits remain from the 2006 test to hold over until 2011 and beyond? Hundreds are retiring ever year, and this is on top of a conservatively estimated shortage of 500 officers!
I know in 008 response times exceeding 20 minutes are of a regular occurrence. Such a response time is embarrassing and is putting our lives and those of the people we're supposed to be protecting at risk.
Just get the ball rolling. please. announce the fucking exam, even if it's five months from now, so atleast we can bask in the illusion of a department that cares about its employees and the city it's sworn to protect
What did Daley do with the stimulus $$ he got in August to hire 50 new officers?
Daley has as many cops protecting him at one time than entire districts have for the whole district..yea, that makes sense
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/video_derrion_albert
This is the link from the Fox News Web Site showing the fight at Fenger High School. Most of us see this crap every day at out Chicago Public High Schools. That why I pull my kids out. Citizens don’t see any of this. Our schools suck! Our police are spread way too thin baby sitting these animals. Minimum of 4 beat cars and any available TAC units on a daily basis just to herd them from the school doors to the CTA.
As you watch the video, Notice the report mentions that security camera’s mounted at near by business are under review by detectives, but none show faces as good as the cell phone video. Way to go Mayor. All that money spent on cameras all around the city. Any of them solve a crime yet? Any half way decent video usable in any crimes to date? Watching the pods at the station gives me double vision with the choppy camera movements and constant blurry image. That’s when they are working!!
The word is no recruits until 2011.
11,000/13,000. WHERE DO THESE NUMBERS COME FROM? WE HAVE WAY LESS THAN THAT.
so whatever happened to that class of 50 recruits we were supposed to get from uncle sam?
isn't the class in there now set to graduate soon? they haven't even started power tests for the next class from what I hear. so once again the academy will be empty of cpd recruits. what ever happened to the concept of efficiency? oh, thats right. shitcago. shortshanks. say no more. it would be nice if just ONCE things went smooth. just once.
13,000 my ass.
go to chris and run it.6700 pos and the rest are det,sgts lts and capts.so nice try
Saying that we have 13,000 officers is like when you pull someone over and ask them how much they've had to drink: 2 beers. It's the standard answer and both parties know that the answer is bullshit.
13,000 is a lie, plain and simple. This is a danger to the citizens and the Police. Every crime out there, including the murder of child, that could have been prevented by a Police patrol driving by....is a sacrifice for the Olympics.
All the victims, just for the games. Saving money for the games.
Why does the media continue to let the Mayor and the Supt slid on this issue....
lil' george said...
Daley has as many cops protecting him at one time than entire districts have for the whole district..yea, that makes sense
9/29/2009 03:43:00 AM
That's because he needs the protection for obvious reasons.
500? We all have looked on clear and know its lower
we are probably short 400 officers, i agree, in area 5 alone--- now take a look at areas 1-4 and do the math... when you pull up on that job and the guy who is paying 6000 dollars a year in property taxes is fuming because he waited an hour for a response be truthful and take the opportunity to educate him--- governor quinn should really consider declaring chicago a disaster area thereby allowing the influx of federal funds similar to what happens after a storm hits a region--- one thing is for certain, our city government has failed at every level to protect the citizens of this city...
Demand minimum manning in this contract! If the city balks, take it to the press, your neighbors etc.! Go District by District, shift by shift, fill every beat car with two officers, every rapid, every accident car, all Sergeants, Lieutenants etc..don't accept nothing less!
For the last time morons. The 13000 or whatever number is claimed is sworn members. Not P/O's. It also includes supervisors and exempts.
figures lie liars figure
once again the days of real investigative reporting are dead
we have pammy chasing moving vehicles, on foot... and chuckie
digging up old john drummond stories canned years ago about the mafia
but today the mayor dictates the news headlines
right mike masters?
Maybe the over weight IAD guy whose father is a retired judge (clout?) can lay off the troops so they aren't suspended or fired for B.S. that he has a tendancy to embellish!
There full of it! Back in May 2009 when Danny DUGAN was in front of the Gang Enforcement Section with Jimmy JACKSON telling everyone the reason all Gang and Tact are going into uniform was to show the "Good" citizens that there is more police out there. DUGAN stated that there the Department was down "500" P.O.'s. Now this was back in May 2009. TO my understanding I do beleive there have been some retirements since then. Also DUGAN stated the 55 and out was going to be agreed upon and the Departement was expected to loose at least 1,000 people. SO 500 short of P.O.'s that doesn't even count Det. or Sgt. They haven't made a class of DET's since 2007 and have only just went over 100 on the Sgt. list. Not to mention the storage of LT'S. So lets put that up to at least 1.200 people being short. All someone has to do is get a copy of the city budget for the police department and it shows how many P.O.'s and every pay scale (ET's and K-9) are budget for.
Bottom line what ever the city says minus it by 1,200 to 1,500.
Just wait until King daley gets his games, then his buddy in Washington will give him some nice federal money to hire new po.s and maybe just maybe settle our contract
even if they double count the 30+ officers that are detailed out of every district....we are probably at 9k or 10k at most. how can you have 30 guys retire each month for 3 years and not be short? also.. the academy is a ghost town. you do the math.
The shortage of police officers has long-term effects, too.
The increased workload officers are experiencing will eventually (if it hasn't already) lead to increased incidents of IOD and sickness. Then you've got even fewer officers on the street. This doesn't even take into account the major health effects this could cause in the future; stress issues, heart problems, etc.
In the event a long deployment becomes necessary, e.g the Olympics or a major terrorist incident (or both), you lose depth; you obviously don't have as many officers to utilize and therefore aren't able to give breaks (time off) to the ones you have deployed, again increasing the chances of IOD or illness.
This is a major catastrophe waiting to happen.
rb
Papersifter said...
Drove downtown to a meeting last Thursday morning thru the west side since we knew not a creature would be stirring as it was well before noon. Had lunch downtown & headed back to the NW side. My co-worker remarked that in over 2 hours of driving to & from the Loop, we didn't see a single police car, until we reached Central & Grand.
9/29/2009 12:14:00 AM
And what is your point? Should we ignore calls and drive up and down every street to give the illusion of protection? We are extremely short and no one cares. Deal with it you idiot.
I know in 008 response times exceeding 20 minutes are of a regular occurrence. Such a response time is embarrassing and is putting our lives and those of the people we're supposed to be protecting at risk.
Just get the ball rolling. please. announce the fucking exam, even if it's five months from now, so atleast we can bask in the illusion of a department that cares about its employees and the city it's sworn to protect
9/29/2009 03:06:00 AM
Sorry to say son, but no one cares. Apathy is the main theme. No exam, no hiring. No one cares about response time but homicides are down. Now bring in 1 mover and 5 parkers.
13,000 my ass.
9/29/2009 07:06:00 AM
Hah! That's exactly what I thought.
2006 was probably the last year they hired enough to stay ahead of retirements.
Hmmmm...
We've been hitting the siren for quite a while now over this very sore topic.
Shortshank's end game is afoot...
We predicted that he will shrink the department through attrition to around 5k to 6k total and it appears that we were not far off the mark.
This is literally the gigantic, sweaty turd in the punchbowl that everybody who thinks they're somebody chooses to blithely ignore.
Critical incidents are occurring with increased regularity, (to wit: the tragic gooning at Fenger and the continuing foolishness in A/1, A/2, A/4 and A/5) in addition to the toilet very loudly and quickly overflowing into previously untouched parts of Area 3 like Lincoln Park, Lakeview and places deemed so holy to many city employees like Dunning etc.
The tipping point IS HERE! People needing the Police and there are NO POLICE TO SEND! Hence the RAPS and lack of Police service. Please don't blame us. We have no power to influence or correct the fatally flawed policies of the current regime. PLEASE direct your outrage to the King of Thieves and his 50 minions at City Hall.
You civilian readers of this blog should be scared shitless. We've been warning you for years that soon you'll more or less be on your own.
The 42 extra-short media organs will spin bullshit into bullion as they lie, misdirect and deny anything regarding a manpower shortage but it seems that some people ARE beginning to wonder what is really going on in this town.
It's all about money. We predict a 5k Police Department along with the redrawing of district boundaries/station closings and/or consolidations.
(J-fart WILL wear the hair-shirt in the resulting political fall out, but then again he's demonstrated the soulless creature he is so we have no pity on him. Perhaps he's so angry because his zeal to destroy the Department is backfiring badly and may have cost him his coveted Olympic Security Director spot which he may have hoped to parlay into directorship of the FBI. Fuck him, his cats and his ambitions by the way...)
The worse case scenario would be the complete elimination of the district law enforcement concept and making the Patrol Division a large rapid response team for in progress and just occurred calls.
Routine case reporting will be handled by civilian contractors/private security outfits (note: We hear a lot of back channel chatter about certain clouted bosses all of a sudden becoming interested in running private security. They've been tipped off by the powers that be.)
The city is trying desperately to divorce itself from funding municipal employee pensions and health care benefits which is why we see the big push for throwing everyone into obamacare and the two-tier pension. We wonder what fate awaits the mayoral and alderwhore pensions and health care plans? You can bet a fat man's ass THEY'RE not up at night worrying about putting THEIR kids through school, keeping THEIR family safe, eating medical bills insurance refuses to pay (& will fuck your credit up over in a heartbeat)and fighting with paying property taxes on a home down in current value but taxed per an inflated appraisal... Et cetera, et ad nauseam, ad infinitum...
It's getting uglier by the day...
the total is 9,000 ask fop for the real numbers
Anonymous said...
I know in 008 response times exceeding 20 minutes are of a regular occurrence. Such a response time is embarrassing and is putting our lives and those of the people we're supposed to be protecting at risk.
9/29/2009 03:06:00 AM
Heck, add to the the amount of time before the call could even be dispatched ... sometimes you're looking at well over an hour ...
Now, if this isn't a safety issue sure don't know what is.
When is the next written exam, JFed? We're struggling out here.
That is why everywhere is short except for daleys,burkes,and the who is it treasurer details! why does daley not use his former bodyguards who started smg or the joke mexican illegals monterrey security to protect his ass at $7.775 per hour? Put the coppers back on the streets and take away the fleets of city owned cars they all have! Plus the high rate of pay that is also taken from "our" pension at the D-3 rate!
Is there any other organization in this country that does not know how many people work for it?
The very fact that it is a secret means that "about 13,000" is a lie.
They lie because the city is paying people who are not police officers out of a "fund" that is supposed to pay police officers.
NO MORE POLICE SHORTAGES AS OF 29 OCT 09.
TONIGHT AT 2000 HOURS J-FED IS HOSTING A "EXEMPT TACTICAL PARTY" AT RAINBOW BEACH.
ALL EXEMPTS EXCEPT DISTRICT COMMANDERS ARE WORKING IN AREAS 1, 2, 4, AND 5 IN A TACTICAL CAPACITY.
STAY TUNED.....
Anonymous said...
In 2008 there were 7,253 p.o.s assigned to districts 001 thru 025,exactly one year there are now 6,649. That is a loss of 604 officers in one year. How much more can be done to the officers and the department. Remember this when you are looking for backup on a call. Be safe and go home to your families. They have made us expendable.
9/29/2009 01:27:00 AM
____________________________
How many of those POs work inside? Or how many are assigned to the district but detailed elsewhere? What about the callback dodgers that can't work full duty spots? Or the watch secretaries that are being hidden by the watch commanders?
My point is there might be 6,600 plus POs in the districts, but there are far less actually working the streets. 5 at the desk, 2 to 3 in male and female lockups a piece, front office, caps, secretaries, traffic missions, coffee car, and any other whim the watch commander might have. Not to mention if the mayor still fires civilians.
The public needs to be asking these questions.
We have 13,000 police officers, also known as peace officers according to the ILCS. The city is using the statutory definition of "peace officer" when they say that we have 13,000. This includes JFed to the lowest man. We all know that anyone above the rank of Lt. (exempts) is a politician but is still a peace officer. The problem is that civilians hear this and think that we have 13,000 blue shirts. When we know that is not true. Once again, smoke and mirrors. Why doesn't Chuck Goudie file a FOIA and found out the real numbers instead of worrying about someone getting a uniform allowance or taking a couple of gallons of free water.
The FLOP is in bed with the city because they know the exact number of sworn police officers we have but refuse to reveal that number.
500?? try more like over 2000 officers short!! I would like for just one time the media gets their stats correct...I would drop dead of a heart attack!!
I'm attending carbine classes at the academy right now. There are about 50 or so recruits in training as we speak. They are in their blues so I imagine they will be on the streets soon.
Was at a wake recently and talked to someone who may have a good grasp of a head count and he said it's close to low 8000. I have a strong feeling that's legit.
---not a cop
Is there any other organization in this country that does not know how many people work for it?
9/29/2009 02:42:00 PM
Exactamundo.
The best way to get "the list" is through finance. They could tell you how many are on the job by the number of checks they cut. They could also tell you how many 9161, 9171, etc.
And what is your point? Should we ignore calls and drive up and down every street to give the illusion of protection? We are extremely short and no one cares. Deal with it you idiot.
9/29/2009 11:23:00 AM
"Deal with" your anger brainiac----sounded like the person you responded to WAS on our side...
The olympics won't save us. PO's from other jurisdictions will supplement along with private security companies created with the promise of large payments to friends of the mayor. Traffic control and lodging/transportation/venue screening and security will not be done by CPD. You will control the perimiter and won.t step foot in the green zone unless you have a ticket. We will never reach anywhere close to the past staffing levels ever again. They remodeled the academy to sell it. Recruits will soon be attending the state academy with a few detailed instructors for CPD specifics.
Shows you what Dugan knows, in May he says the 55 and out will be agreed upon and that the CPD would lose 1000 officers. So far according to the FOP updates 106 have signed up for the 55 and 160 are necessaryto even have it take affect. If they dont get the 54 more by tomorrow, the deal is off and the city won't even lose the 106 because they were retiring to get the free health insurance
The annual pension board report lists the total number of officers on the job because their report shows the number of officers paying into the pension. The total number is no secret and I believe CLEAR lists the number by rank You can look up by the rank code and it will give you the number in that rank
Jesus, it seems that the people posting here about numbers of manpower get their information off of shithouse walls. The FOP is in bed with Daley, conspiracy conspiracy, holy mackerel, it is all conjecture.
The FOP knows, without any doubt, how many people are paying dues each payday. That translates exactly to how many warm bodies hold a badge and carry a gun, except for those who pay dues and cannot carry a badge or gun for various reasons.
Subtract medical, light duty, call back etc. and an exact number can be figured of how many warriors are out there. Just go to one of those strange and exotic FOP meetings and write down the numbers that are announced in the first 15 minutes of each meeting. Bring your GPS if you can't find the FOP Hall.
For some strange reason there are lots of opinions on the blogs but the just same 40 people are in attendance time after time at the FOP General Meetings. A very small percentage of total membership.
Once upon a time you could work special employment in your district of assignment. Why not do it again and put a few more officers on the street. Make things a little safer for all concerned.
Why does the media continue to let the Mayor and the Supt slid on this issue....
The same reason the Flop refuses to address this issue, they don't want to piss off King Daley.
OT - OLYMPICS IN JEOPARDY
Tonight on FOX NEWS (CABLE) Hannity leads with the 2x4 beating of that 16 yo. And O'Reilly commented on it too.
So much for the Olympics. That video had to come at a really bad time.
Stay tuned.
If you're a citizen monitoring this blog, here's a tip. Buy a handgun (legally) and keep it handy inside of your (Chicago) home (illegally).
I'm attending carbine classes at the academy right now. There are about 50 or so recruits in training as we speak. They are in their blues so I imagine they will be on the streets soon.
Graduation is next Thursday
9/29/2009 12:14:00 AM
And what is your point? Should we ignore calls and drive up and down every street to give the illusion of protection? We are extremely short and no one cares. Deal with it you idiot.
9/29/2009 11:23:00 AM
We're on your side and we do care.
Our point WAS how short-handed CPD actually is, and how hard it is for you all to do your job, with less manpower, crappy outdated equipment and lousy pay for a mayor and a department that treats you all.. except for their favorites, like crap.
People are noticing that we DON'T see enough police out there.
We hope you get more exercise then jumping to conclusions. Chill, you sound just like our naggy sister-in-law after she finishes a six-pack.
There are plenty of us out here ready to take that test... I'm sure that they would have no problem finding 1,000 good officers if they gave a test.
It must look good when they count the ouble-dippers ; assigned to one unit and detailed to another.
At least 35 people detailed out of the 008th district but are still showing as manpower in the district. Give us 35 more people and MAYBE we can have a response care or two working 3rd watch.
Make the numbers real and stop playing the numbers game!
Word is the hair gels at TRu are d - u - n DONE. The forehead has his msf project and is getting rid of the cline project so he can boost district levels.
There were 9,300 Uniform checks cut last time...
Word is the hair gels at TRu are d - u - n DONE. The forehead has his msf project and is getting rid of the cline project so he can boost district levels.
Nice try, the city just spent $800,000 rehabbing the old 007th district for TRU and Area 1 gangs. MSF wont go there because their general doesn't like driving to far from Homan Sqaure and he has the ear of the Ferengi.
To 9/30/2009 12:52:00 AM
Live long and prosper
Send gang enf. back to the districts, they are only detailed
anyway.
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