Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie Johnson today welcomed 114 new police recruits to the Department’s Training Academy, the first class of 2018 and another step in the city’s plan to grow CPD by nearly 1,000 officers.
“Chicago’s greatest asset is our diversity, and with each class of recruits CPD reflects that and uses it to serve our city,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Officers are not just here to police, patrol and protect residents, but to be part of those communities. Investments in officer training and technology today complement the City’s efforts for a better tomorrow – with more after school programs, summer jobs, and mentorship opportunities.”
The Police Department is not only growing in total size, but is also more diverse today than ever before and has the most diverse leadership in CPD history. This new class builds on the progress that has been made, as 68% of the January class of recruits are minority. This group of new recruits is also 23 percent female and includes 55 CPS graduates, 17 military veterans and 14 with CPD family members.
The ongoing hiring plan is part of Mayor Emanuel’s comprehensive public safety strategy – including investing in proactive intervention strategies in historically divested communities, expanding youth support services like mentoring for more at risk youth and stimulating neighborhood economic development with programs like the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund. While more work certainly remains, initiatives in 2018 will build on the reductions in gun violence seen in 2017, which were down 22% compared to last year. Since the beginning of 2017, more than 1,200 new recruits, 52 Lieutenants, 142 Sergeants, 270 Detectives and 119 Field Training Officers have entered the Academy.
“The first class of recruits for 2018 into the Training Academy is part of keeping our promise to make CPD a better agency and make Chicago safer through strengthened community policing,” said CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson. “These new recruits will join the dedicated and brave officers that are working every day to reduce gun violence and build partnerships with the communities we serve. I am confident that as we continue our investments, including our hiring plan, we will see even further progress in ridding our streets from violence.”
During six months of training at Police Academy, recruits learn all applicable laws and protocols for being a Chicago Police Officer. In addition to physical training, they receive instruction in procedural justice, mental health awareness, crisis intervention and de-escalation, use of force, community building and critical thinking.
“Our city’s investment in public safety is seen in the dedicated faces of the over 100 recruits joining the Department today,” said Alderman Reboyras. “As the Department continues to strengthen in numbers, it also strengthens in diversity, training provided to new recruits and the tools they will have at their fingertips when they graduate, from body worn cameras to mobile technology honing them in on crime hotspots.”
When these officers graduate they will have access to new tools, technology and resources to partner with the community and fight violent crime. This includes last week’s announcement of the completion of strategic nerve centers in the 3rd (Grand Crossing) and 4th (South Chicago) Districts. In those districts, station-based Strategic Decision Support Centers, district-wide gunshot detection systems, POD crime cameras and mobile phone technology have been installed to support police in preventing, combating and responding to violent crime in the south and west sides.
Source: Alderman Walter Burnette-27th Ward Newsletter 1/16/18
