Perfect Storm
A comment a day or so ago pointed out another hiring wave that we knew of, but hadn't really put together with other info we had. Bear with us.
We think we can identify three major hiring waves preceding and occurring within our careers:
- 1991-1994....upwards of 3,500 officers
- 1995-1998....between 4,500 and 5,500 officers (the Clinton money)
- 2004-2006....+/- 2,500 officers
There are other smaller ones, but these are approximately the big ones.
Now work through the career milestones:
- 1991 + 20 years = 2011 (not many were doing 20-and-out)
- 1991 + 29 years = 2020 (COVID times)
- 1995 + 20 years = 2015
- 1995 + 29 years = 2024 (today's max)
- 2004 + 20 years = 2024 (today's max)
Those 1991 people might have stuck around past 29, but as the job stands now as to what it was when they came on, they're leaving fast.
The 1995 people are maxing out as we speak.
The 2004 crew has hit their 20 years. They aren't wedded to the job like many were. They believe they're old enough to leave with 50% pensions and start a second career somewhere else....and they're probably right.
That's THREE classes amounting to thousands, all hitting an inflection point that makes the exit door look even better with nothing currently keeping them interested in a job that actively hates them and that they've grown to dislike.
Anyone else seeing this? We might be off a bit on the years, but we're pretty close on the numbers. We heard a friend describe these as "bubbles moving along a timeline" a long time ago and it certainly looks like the bubble is about ready to explode.
Labels: department issues
posted by SCC at 12:05 AM
118 Comments:
Why would anyone stay?
I’m just counting down the days. I hate my job and my Sgt. The Lt is a drunk and the Gold Stars have been over promoted. Class of 98-7B.
I can’t believe I made it with a little more than a year to go. House is ready to sell in spring and we (wife and I) plan on moving to Arizona. Good luck to everyone along their journey. Take it one day at a time. If I make it so can you.
You’re also counting retirement numbers by time on the job. There are also a lot of officers probably in the few hundreds who are tier 1 who have bought military or county time. They will be making 20 this year and the next 2-3 I can guarantee they are doing 20 and out and nobody accounting for them.
There are still alot of guys with well over 30 years otj still hanging on for whatever reason. While our pension does go up for every year we work past 30 years, there is no reward in doing that, especially given our mortality rate being so high after retirement. Twenty years of quality retirement years, in good health, is ideal, but very few reach that.
I’m at about 19 years, doing 2 more with an exit strategy in place.
Most of the people I know around my time fall into 1 of 2 categories.
Those with kids plan to stick it out till the age of 55.
Those without kids are hitting the eject button as soon as they possibly can.
Just hit my 20 but not old enough for insurance
Forced OT incoming. Think cancelled days off and extension of tour. Increased CR’s, divorces and suicides. Which in turn can lead to more retirements. Screw this department.
Sam 'Ace' Rothstein says...
they will hire the illegals...
Bet big
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/3-ways-to-balance-chicagos-next-budget-without-tax-hikes/
“push government pension reform” this statement is to cut your pension benefits. With the city, county and state giving criminals and illegals money for everything under the sun and not putting money into the retirement fund. They want all the retirees to not get a 3% COLA. It’s all in the article. As the city goes further into financial trouble it could happen. Remember we are down bodies and the absence of bodies, equals to less people paying into our pension. There is currently more retired police on pension than there is people working on the job. Just food for thought. Remember these people wanting pension reforms are not our friends. Their movement is growing. Don’t blindly fall into their movement.
The important thing that people forget is that these most people leaving with the minimum 20 years to be eligible to collect only a 50% pension often have to wait some years to do so. So that helps somewhat when it comes to draining the funds.
It's not the retirements that's the issue, it's the replacements they're hiring when and if they can. You guys can't work past 55 or 60 anyway unless it's a desk. Retirement is normal. The police department is going to shit, the plague is coming, and it's not bubonic....
We may be witnessing the last of the wheel gunners very soon. I remember when I came on there were a whole lot of guys still using dump pouches and hadn't discovered speed loaders yet.
They can't hire anyone, and even if people want to return who have the chance to(without anything major or even minor to DQ someone), they turn them down, I was one of them. Fuck this city, they want "who" they want.
2006 here. My timeline is 2026 but leaning towards 2028 because of age.
I blow bubbles a lot. Don't pull my finger.
When your target hires, DEI, don't want the job, and you discourage your usual people who wanted the job, this is what you get. And if you don't think this is part of his stated progressive defunding the police initiative think again.
That makes a lot of sense. I'll finish my 20th in the end of April. I'm leaving May 15th. I use to love the career, now it's just a job. I'm gonna do something else. Holidays off, happy co-workers, no looming threat of federal lawsuits, you know. This place turned into a complete shit show.
They paying us lots more to do lots less. Whites shirts just going through the motions also. Name of the game is get through the day unscathed and repeat till one chooses to exit. Job security and decent pay and I’m still growing pension credits. One guy I know pulled out at 20 and 50% not nearly enough to survive on. So to each his own. If they slow/stop hiring we’ll see how crazy it gets
Days off cancelled should mean the front office and CAPs are working beat cars. Unfortunately they’ll always be working inside. Mysteriously the inside is never understaffed.
How many still left from class 93-3?
Perhaps they are waiting for the ex to pass away or get married so they don't have to shell out half their pension to her.
but the 3% cola is NOT compounded. Mere pittance after 15 years of pension payments.
worked a 2nd job over furlo short term testing the waters. the stress was completely gone and i drank my coffee and enjoyed my way in to work. not that I am fighting and killing everyday on this job - but the stress is absolutely there.
Because I clear 150k a year without breaking a sweat, stress, or having to deal with the street bs.. Because my rank is the best to max out, 9165 baches!!!
20 years should guarantee you a spot on a list for an inside position. Commanders should make these moves and put these kids back on the street. You could always just hold them down on a mission so they won't get calls but at least it would keep some old timers around to not drain the pension and help them preserve what they have built up.
I ran into Bubbles last week, he was asking about you.
Yea screw this dept now right.... but most weren't saying that when being asked for #s in return for an early duck, keeping your car and time, or your spot on tac or on a unit. Stop crying WE all caused this so stop acting like your surprised or butt hurt.
Good for you... but your gonna hate having to really work for a living. Having to actually start work on time, actually work a full 8 hour shift and be accountable for your job responsibilities! Earn time due lol. A few days off b4 you hit a year working lol, right.... this job sucks
Everyday I think of leaving the job. It's gotten that bad. I have no clout so I'm it on the street. Every bad guy wants to fight. I guess I'm kind of burnt out . No reward just trouble if you do your job. Im gonna start looking to see what's out there. Grass ain't always greener but the consequences are too grave for making a mistake on this job at this stage in the game. Maybe I'll be one of those numbers in one of those bubbles you speak of.
Thank you for the positive comment. I hope you and wife have a great retirement
I was at the academy during the now infamous "spitball" class...that was 94-6 and a large number of those original "rejects" were fired along the way. They should never have been hired in the first place. In my homeroom class of about 30 several were fired during their probationary periods, and several went to jail for their misdeeds. Several more were separated for career ending indescretions. That was the first time they lowered the standards. I always referred to my class as "the dirty dozen" We were a collection of misfits and screwballs. I bought some miltary time and retired. Yes, I had to make up some disciplinary time, but it was administrative. CPD has lowered their standards many times over the years. My class should all be gone by now. If I could change one thing, I would leave at axactly 20 years on. COLA raises and now the WEP changes are making me think I made the correct choices.
Congrats you lucky f*ing bastard! One day hoping for same.
I knew I made a mistake after 5 years. I started counting down from 15 years I did 20 and a month. If I had as many eyeballs as I did shit bosses, Id be in a freak show. I picked a great career with the wrong company.
Drunk bosses are the best, don’t bother you like the pencil pusher micro managers. You should know that with over 20 years kid.
Tone deaf management, stupid consent decree trainings that keep saying the same thing over and over, too many cancelled days off, and what’s really killed off my motivation is the rules of engagement, all the notifications for the simplest of tasks, processing an arrestee is an exercise in madness and it’s simply easier to sit in the car and watch the world slip on by. There’s no fixing this train wreck either. Good luck to those who feel they can still proactively do this job and not lose their sanity.
I am now maxed from ‘96 class as mentioned above. Most of my class has retired or taken other jobs. But not 55 to qualify for insurance, so have to do 2 year that I really don’t want to. No reason they shouldn’t have an insurance option for guys with 29 and a day in their 50s.
I can assure you they could get more activity out of a pet rock.
Just as planned. Obozo’s national police force, just as well equipped as our military as he described it, is looming larger.
My Lt is lucky to have done two years of street duty. House mouse. My Sgt is a no it all but knows nothing and doesn’t want to be bothered. I’m about done too.
OT Chicago Bally’s Casino and the racists aldermen and mayor investment scam being run on minorities and women.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/no-white-men-allowed-ballys-chicago-casino-share-offering-promoted-city-officials
Go to the open market. It can cost $350 to $450 a month for a family plan. Just google medical insurance broker.
Exactly! No one cares!
So true!
You are oh most done. :)
Get the fuck off this job. Live a normal life. These are the people that hate you: Governor, Illinois House, Illinois Senate, Mayor, City Council. Citizens and your bosses. Think about it when they tell you what the are and how they feel.
More on Bally’s
Who remembers Don Lapre the guy on late night TV infomercials telling you how you can make millions all from your small one bedroom apartment at home by placing small ads in newspapers
Yeah it's like that
City of Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin is perhaps among the politicians least qualified to be promoting the deal. She was fined last year for violating the government ethics ordinance by firing whistleblowers and improperly using city resources. We’ve criticized her here for failing to provide even the most basic information that should be expected from a treasurer and for a misguided divestiture from fossil fuel makers.
Ald. Ronnie Mosley (21st Ward) was also there Thursday night boosting the deal. “Tonight is about a new opportunity on how to participate, about not just being a consumer but to be an owner,” he told the crowd of a couple hundred people, according to The Tribe.
They apparently sold many in the room at Thursday’s event, according to The Triibe, whose article also reads like a puff piece. They quoted one attendee from Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood who said, “It’s so many ways you can invest. I mean, to go from $250 all the way to $25,000, I mean, if you don’t have any money and all you have is 250 and they let you in,” she said. “That’s, like, a no-brainer for me, and then it’s a no recourse loan, so therefore you’re not liable for it if it [the project] doesn’t go through.”
Could the deal be challenged as illegal discrimination? Yes, absolutely. I can think of no plausible defense to such a challenge and I have found no precedent for a similarly exclusionary securities offering.
Yes my friends you can invest $250 and take a loan out for the rest ($25k/share) at an 11% interest rate. Good luck with that as the shares have restrictions and will not be offered on the open market when it comes time to unload.
Bally’s has 40 pages of warnings on what could go wrong but don't look at that we are building generations wealth!!! Question is for who?
Any pension plans held by the shitty are teetering on insolvency collect when you are eligible because it will be going down the turlet
The way I read it, you only have to wait till 50. Most are young enough to find another jobs, pay into social security, and move out if the city
The pension might be reduced or simply stop paying out, so why wait?
You can still get a job with insurance.
I max out at 51. Have to stay 4 extra years for insurance.
Transfer and see what the new spot is like. How can the hurt anything. You might be surprised
Don’t rush to judgement. And do something else doesn’t cut it. Have a plan and number one is have a job planned. Be positive and sure of the job. Not all coworkers are happy at any job and the grass always looks greener on the other side. You would be surprised at how many guys and girls are trying to get back on They are saying the new job did not turn out as expected. All I’m saying is the new job isn’t always guaranteed and with 20 years on the CPD you aren’t anywhere to retiring soon. Good luck
less police = more social workers,,,,,,,, we are saved,,, praise the Lord !!!
Good leave, more overtime for me
if you are being harassed by your supervisor you can sue them
Consider Texas also. It works for me.
The new cops will soon be at the gun store ordering "phased plasma rifle in the 40 kilowatt range"
Screw the insurance...its not as expensive as everyone thinks. At least not out of state...BCBS runs Illinois. Another reason to leave
Put your house up for sale now. It took me two years to sell mine...
can someone explain to me why gas prices in the greater phoenix az area are between 2.75 n 2.85 a gallon and over 3.39 per gallon in the metro chicago area
I was taught how to use speed loaders by an old timer...a range guy at the A/3 range spent some time with me when I went for OD weapons qualifying. His name was Jim. Ive since had compliments on how smooth my reloads were over the years. Thank you sir...Ive never forgotten what you taught me.
You hair gel, Molly vest better put an end to that tier 2 pension sys. = benefits. Pay, pensions for doing the same job. You’re going to be penalized big time, if you retire before age 55
My S&W Model 10 and I retired in 2020 after 30 years.
I hate my Sgt too!
Happy coworkers would be nice. This one broad is so negative. Everything has to be why this and why that is the most ghetto hood rat attitude like its so enduring. B*the NO. Stop it i tell her
BJ is giving ALL the money to “Violent Interruptors” ,250 million that no one wants to seem to check on. And another 100 million from Priksrer.
My cola is $2000 a year after taxes, after 15 years that is an extra $30 grand. I hardly call that a pittance. That and actually getting what I am owed in SS (yes I have the quarters) I hardly call that a pittance. Full disclosure I retired 2 years ago maxed out as a Detective.
Does your district make you do humpers everyday to say what your doing as a po?
If not don't come to 006, the boss has this bright idea to try to see what everyone is doing on a daily basis
Do they swipe in and out?
Somebody has to point out the obvious---the so-called "Clinton money" of the 1990s was the property of American Taxpayers, not of the politicians. And it all should have been returned to it's rightful owners instead of being wasted on caps in Chicago. There was no actual crime reduction apart from a few less reported murders, therefore what was the point? Most of the new Officers simply went to specialized units which were just fiefdoms set up by clout heavy bosses, and which only created the scandals the rest of us have to pay for.
This hits home!
Is that marc vanek talking about suing???? Check with him he threatens or does sue everybody.
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Hit the medical, take a breath / maybe a holiday, do a few sessions with a counselor. It’ll help.
Whatever you do, don’t get married. $ buys happiness in all dimensions of life.
Nobody wants to buy overpriced houses in Edison Park.
Taxes. And the overhead from 'Yutes" causing mayhem.
All the hair gels you speak of have 25 years on the job now. I don’t know how you define the current crop of young officers, but they were built different than the older officers.
016 midnights’ humper was retired few years back when PO’s began drawing goose eggs and adding very creative remarks in the comments section.
“early duck” “LOL” “goose” etcetc. It was hilarious but morale was shit so well deserved, WOL was losing his mind. These days no one cares anymore it’s just autopilot till furlo and retirement.
Does the humper have check boxes for lunch, personals and naps?
A wise Sgt told me 29yrs ago when I started, " Kid, stay single, your pockets will jingle"
Congratulations! I definitely wish you the best!
Tell the dipshit, political hack boss in 6, if he ever spent a lil time on the streets he'd already know what his officers are doing. In my case, not a damn thing. I don't work for assholes.
But we made so many new friends at the wonderful CAPS meetings?
The early 2000s was the safest I remember Chicago feeling in my adult life. The mid 80s and thru 1990s places like downtown were relatively untouched by crime and though parts of the city surrounding downtown not revitalized yet were still sketchy, I had absolutely no fear of walking all the way from Lincoln Park to the museum campus. Now I’d never walk the miles I did. I lived thru 70s, 80s,90s to present as youth to retiree. We’ve reversed course since the Obama years presidency and it’s gradually gotten worse with each new mayor since. So yeah, the money did make the city safer for almost 15 years until the anti police propaganda started and every incident was used as an excuse to tie police hands up further.
Exactly, I also maxed out and waiting to turn 55, if this department thinks I’m going to do anything until I retire, they are crazy. I’ve been a good employee until 29+1day, now it’s my time to abuse the medical, come in late, leave early and do jack shit…I’ll be the dog now.. I think I’ve earned the break until I leave, they want to play games and make me stay until I turn 55 for the medical but yet will give someone medical with only 20 years. The people who came on later actually win now, they probably have the credits for social security, work here for 20 years and get a pension and medical until Medicare
If you’re a drunk that statement holds true. You all took the job for the money and bitch and moan. Remember young and old no one forced any of us to take this job. Leave before your time and when you reach my age, you’ll be crying because the pension is drained.
It's roughly $2.95 just over the border in Indiana. Always time my big shopping trips to coincide with less than a quarter-tank.
Never saw so many crybabies.
You choose the job. I choose the fire department
Good luck to you and your family. But remember boys and girls...the LA wildfires are forcing even more far-left Cali refugees to move to Arizona and Texas. They will be pink states by the year 2030.
The same coppers whining about forced OT were the same ones complaining they took OT away 2 months ago. For those who haven't figured it out...it's not the OT it's the work being asked of you. Voluntary OT means you don't have to do s*** or answer calls. In other words more ghetto-attitudes about OT entitlements.
I was at the academy during the now infamous "spitball" class...that was 94-6 and a large number of those original "rejects" were fired along the way. They should never have been hired in the first place. In my homeroom class of about 30 several were fired during their probationary periods, and several went to jail for their misdeeds. Several more were separated for career ending indescretions. That was the first time they lowered the standards. I always referred to my class as "the dirty dozen" We were a collection of misfits and screwballs. I bought some miltary time and retired. Yes, I had to make up some disciplinary time, but it was administrative. CPD has lowered their standards many times over the years. My class should all be gone by now. If I could change one thing, I would leave at axactly 20 years on. COLA raises and now the WEP changes are making me think I made the correct choices.
1/21/2025 08:54:56 AM
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nope still here. 94-5
thanks for taking the heat off of us
I can think of one in my class who was fired for petting a ladies leg on a traffic stop showing her where the break pedal is (someone/anyone remember Samuel T.? )... one good friend went to federal prison. others got fired for nonsense, or were hassled to bad by this sloppy dept, they ended up quitting early. So ya, we were misfits too. lot of fun on this job but that changed about 10 years ago or so. Now everyone is unhappy, from detectives to Lts. - that NEVER happened. no fun anymore. thank God I made it mostly intact.
I I retired a few months ago and got a job in the private sector. I find the work to be much easier and I’m treated well. Everyone acts professionally and the job is flexible. I can work from home some days if I want. Way better than cpd.
I need you to save the city. Work cha for 3 days a month. Bank the money and when you get a 5-10 day suspension don’t fret it. You’ll have 10-29 honorable mentions, 2 dc’s, 1 lifesaving, and a solid career. Getting suspended a few times for excessive force is an honor when interacting with dangerous people and saving Chicago.
Just a FYI. To those that are planning to move to different states, check out if the state you are looking at tax pension & social security income.
Congrats, it's a wonderful happening
I remember my first day at the Police academy...
"Welcome to the "Best" police department in the country..." They said. They really did say that...!
That’s great
3% COLA helped me out wished it was compounded but after 17 years of retirement went from 64000 to close to 98,000. Not bad for retirement
They have been saying that for the last 20 years…
This gets written about every year, and the number of retirees never bears out the predictions. I'll take another COLA raise next week please...and this year, I am taking out my full Social Security benefit. Which should now pay for more than my health care costs for leaving before 55. Winning..!!!
That class had many bosses children or family members
Job wouldn’t be so bad if the young hard chargers just stopped being dumb. Stop doing your blue cards, you’re not saving the world by getting a few guns off the street. The guys doing the drive by shootings, theyre not stopping for your traffic stop. Get real. The only people stopping are the dummies who use it for protection anyway. The real criminals never stop for the blue lights. Answer your calls and go home, stop calling for backup and bothering your supervisors.
That’s me. I bought my time. 21 in the pension. This is my last year. Maxed out in deferred comp early and often. Pushing the $1M mark. Fuck. This. Shit.
What does the pedal break? Asking for a friend.
Check off sheet for our district has the equivalent of the old humper just shortened a bit. People make up their jobs because they don’t even remember.
5 years is about right...I turned down the fire department at 4.5 years. Soon after that the reality of CPD being a ship of fools entered my conciousness.
That explains why his approval percentage is in the teens....
Lol Snelling was lying.
Half the CPD would have taken if they had been called, but then we can’t all be “heros
another success story.
CHICAGO — The number of police officers is at or near record lows and Mayor Brandon Johnson's campaign pledge to add 200 more detectives is unfulfilled, despite his claims to the contrary, according to a WGN Investigates analysis of police staffing numbers.Oct 29, 2024
Keep believing that snowflake...I had 20 on when we wentto the 10 hour day. I ended up on midnights and when I asked why, I was told that other people had young children thay were raising and that they needed to be there for them. they really told me that...
Retired here...That clarion horn has been sounded for so long that no one is listening. They used to bandy about that there were 13,500 officers. While we knew that wasnt true the media in this town kept reporting that it was. Every officer in the rank and file knew it wasnt, but no one seemed to care. The department was budgeted for 13, 500 and by G-d that was what it was. Even though we knew better. Todays force is quite a bit smaller, I imagine with all the defunding by attrition and lack of hiring and just plain quitting. Im guessing under 10,000. Just dont expect great things with an underfunded, and understaffed police force.
I came on in "95...They said that to us too...
Me too, bought my military time to get out two years earlier. Will be maxed out this June and 56. I feel blessed.
I agree. Time on the job should matter. Too many kids in inside spots with 2 or 3 years on. Unheard of 10 to 15 years ago. Didn't think this would be part of the"change" as well.
Just a little advice if you’re looking to work security to make up for leaving early. There’s limited work out here. And most of it is shit work.Lots of Suburban guys leaving early too. Unless you’re related to one of the Varchettos or their boys you’re not getting shit. Just keep that in mind.
Cant wait to leave. Hit my twenty in 3 years and 1 month. I will almost certainly go to another job with my bachelor's degree to work in management Monday through Friday. Nights, weekends, holidays and restricted time off can kiss my ass. Telling me how to dress, where to go and when is so fucking old.
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