October 6, 2011

Mayor Emanuel and Superintendent McCarthy Announce the Redeployment of 138 Police Officers to Communities Across Chicago

Additional officers, through redeploying detention aides and consolidating police lockups, fulfill Mayor’s commitment to add 1,000 more cops to the beat

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Garry McCarthy today announced the redeployment of 138 police officers throughout the city as part of the Administration’s ongoing effort to strengthen the safety of Chicago’s neighborhoods. CPD will hire 104 civilian detention aides through a settlement agreement reached with SEIU Local 73, allowing police officers currently serving in that  capacity  to be redeployed to the beat.

“Successful policing begins with the beat officers who earn the trust of the communities they serve, shift by shift and patrol by patrol,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Before taking office I made a commitment to add 1,000 police officers to the beat. And I told you I would not waver from my promise because it was critical to the safety of our residents. These police officers have made that commitment to our residents to help make every community a safe place to work, play, learn and build a life.”              

“Providing the District Commanders with these additional resources and holding them accountable for crime in their area has proven to be successful,” said Superintendent McCarthy. “But we cannot stop there. We need to continue looking for ways to be more efficient in our delivery of resources so we can focus on our mission of making Chicago a safer city for every resident, in every neighborhood.”

The civilian detention aide positions will be posted on Friday, October 7th.  They will be hired by mid-November, and ready to start in December 2011. Once in place, the police officers currently serving in the capacity of detention aide will be redeployed to the beat.

In addition to the new detention aides, the Mayor announced that police lockups in the 14th, 17th, 23rd and 24th districts will be closed and consolidated into neighboring lockups. This allows an additional 34 police officers to be added to communities across the city.

Hiring the detention aides and consolidating police lockups will collectively allow 138 police officers to be redeployed to the beat. Since taking office, Mayor Emanuel has announced the redeployments of 1,019 sworn Chicago Police personnel to the beat.

On September 27th, the City of Chicago and SEIU Local 73 reached a settlement agreement with respect to SEIU’s challenges to the City’s layoff of 72 full-time Traffic Control Aides(TCA). The City has agreed to post 104 detention aide vacancies, and give former TCAs, who are otherwise eligible and qualified, priority in bidding on those vacancies. 

The cost to hire the 104 civilian detention aides is $4.4 million, and will be paid for by the Chicago Police Department.

 

 

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