Monday, June 29, 2009

Chicago applying for grants to hire 400 new police officers

Sun-Times:
Chicago is applying for $106 million in federal-stimulus grants to hire 400 new police officers, even though there’s a costly string attached: When the three-year grants expire, the officers must remain on the city payroll for at least another year.

Mayor Daley is poised to lay off 1,504 city employees to help erase a threatened $300 million year-end shortfall unless union leaders agree to another painful round of cost-cutting concessions by July 15.
...
Daley’s 2009 budget slowed police hiring to a crawl — with only 200 officers expected to be hired throughout the year.

But, Police Superintendent Jody Weis recently acknowledged that City Hall hasn’t even kept up with that snail’s pace.

Only one class comprised of 45 officers has entered the police academy for six months of training. No more classes have been scheduled.

As a result, the Chicago Police Department is more than 600 officers below its authorized strength.

And if Daley proceeds with the 1,504 layoffs, 296 civilian police employees will lose their jobs as crossing guards, detention aides and traffic control aides, forcing uniformed police officers to do jobs that have nothing to do with fighting crime

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