Police shortage a growing problem
Chicago nearly 2,000 shy of authorized 13,500
Heading into year No. 2 of a hiring slowdown, the Chicago Police Department is now nearly 2,000 officers short of its authorized strength of 13,500, counting vacancies, medical leave and limited duty, records show -- with 36 percent of police jobs at O'Hare Airport unfilled.
After hiring only 46 police officers this year, Mayor Daley's 2010 budget counts on federal stimulus funds to boost manpower next year. Still, just 86 officers are to be added, 30 of them to patrol CTA buses and L trains.
(Al Podgorski/Sun-Times)
1,967 — officers short of that number on the street
596 — citywide police vacancies
730 — officers on daily medical rolls
641 — officers on limited duty each day
36 percent — vacancy rate at O’Hare Airport (62 of 171 budgeted positions)
18 percent — vacancy rate at Midway Airport (10 of 57 police positions)
365 — sick days officers are allowed every two years
70 — investigations completed by Medical Integrity Unit investigating sick-day abuse
85 — “infraction reports” initiated
424 — medical files reviewed for officers on limited duty
That's nowhere near enough to fill 596 vacancies and a wave of retirements.
Beyond the vacancies, there are 730 officers on medical rolls each day -- thanks, in part, to a policy that allows officers to take as many as 365 sick days every two years.
And 641 officers a day are on limited desk duty.
Sixty-two of the 171 police positions at O'Hare are vacant -- along with 10 of the 57 police slots, or 18 percent, at Midway Airport.
Last month, Aviation Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino fired Jim Maurer, a former high-ranking police officer, as airport security chief after Maurer complained about a shortage of police officers at O'Hare.
Police spokesman Roderick Drew said airport crime is down more than 20 percent and air travelers are safe. "We also have additional resources through the federally funded overtime initiative" to temporarily fill vacancies, Drew said.
In all, the Police Department is 1,967 officers a day short of its authorized strength.
"We've lost more personnel than any other city department, which should be a grave concern for officer safety and public safety," said Mark Donahue, president of the Fraternal Order of Police. "A lot of guys are detailed out of districts to other units, leaving manpower in district law enforcement even shorter."
Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) said police manpower is likely to be a major issue at City Council budget hearings that began Wednesday -- and that calls for beat realignment will grow louder.
"We're getting resources on the Far South Side when things go bad," Beale said. "But we need to be at that level at all times."
Last year, Police Supt. Jody Weis said he would deliver on a promise made and broken by at least four of his predecessors to realign Chicago's 281 police beats. He has yet to make good on that promise.
"It becomes a war between aldermen [from high-crime wards] and those who want police to do nothing more than write tickets," Beale said. "They don't want to give up the resources to help us fight real crime."
Ald. Ginger Rugai (19th), who represents Beverly and Morgan Park and has fought beat realignment, called plans to do that "so complicated, it was just overwhelming. It was probably never going to happen."
Six years ago, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that officers racked up 254,580 medical days in 2002 -- 18.5 days for each sworn officer -- thanks in part to a generous medical policy.
The Police Department responded with plans to create a new team of investigators to root out abuses. But officials didn't form the new Medical Integrity Unit until this June. So far, it has completed 70 investigations, initiated 85 "infraction reports" and reviewed 424 medical files of officers on limited duty.