As a means to confront a fifty percent spike in the crime rate, the Chicago Police department has launched a two-year hiring surge which aims to add 970 police officers to the task force.
Of the 970 officers hired to the department, 516 are to be patrol officers, 92 field-training officers, 112 sergeants, 50 lieutenants and 200 will be detectives according to the communications director for the Chicago Police Department, Anthony Guglielmi.
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According to the Chicago Sun Times, the hiring surge “marks a turnaround for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has relied on police overtime in a failed attempt to stop the cycle of gang violence on the streets.” Chicago Superintendent, Eddie Johnson is scheduled to share further details about the hiring plan later Wednesday at a news conference outside of CPD headquarters. He tells ABC 7, “What I can tell you now is I’m going to need all the city of Chicago to support it and get behind us, because we have to do everything we can to reduce this gun violence. This will go toward that end.” This plan comes at a time where policing and police training in America is being questioned and heavily scrutinized.