Dangerously low manpower is what the Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago is calling their latest complaint, and they are asking their members to march in protest on Chicago Police Headquarters at 3510 South Michigan Avenue, south of the loop, on September 15, 2010 at 10:00AM.
The FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) alleges that the low number of policemen hired in Chicago leaves the policemen outnumbered and leaves the people of the city feeling unsafe. They claim that there has been a 2-year slowdown in hiring which leaves the Chicago Police Department more than 2,311 officers short per day.
Mayor Richard Daley is being blamed for the low number of hires. The last time the police organized a protest, it was targeted at Daley also. That demonstration was on April 2, 2009 after Daley took away an offer to raise policemen’s wages by 16.1% over five years. The number of policemen involved in the wage-protest was an impressive representation showing the unity their membership had at that time. The massive crowd of officers circled City Hall and repeatedly yelled, “Daley sucks!” Vindictively, the Chicago Policemen had that protest to embarrass Daley when the International Olympic Committee was making its final visit to Chicago before the Committee selecting the 2016 Summer Olympic site – which wasn’t Chicago. In fact, Chicago came in last.
The newly-scheduled protest involves the policemen’s concern about lack of manpower, and only time will tell whether this protest will draw another huge crowd of unified officers as well as whether it will get any desired results in terms of Daley approving more hires for the Department.
Source: CBS-Chicago News
Comments
The Chicago cops want more money even though everyone else is getting wage freezes or furloughed, they want more hires even though every other segment of society is having hiring freezes or seeing layoffs that make everyone have to work harder, they want... they want... they want...
I wish all these constantly complaining cops would find another profession and let some non-whiners replace them. They do nothing but complain about 'having' to do their job. They dont 'have to do' anything. They can just find another job!
To anonymous...lately, all they're doing is dying... They are seriously understaffed and have been without a contract for a few years...you're the whiner
city dweller - While I see your aggravation with anonymous, I can relate to the frustration revealed in the message. Unfortunately, Officer Friendly hasn't been seen in Chicago for 3 decades or more. It's to the point where people won't deal with the police, not even as a last resort anymore. Cops hate doing their job, they hate dealing with the public, they hate everything about the city so it seems. If you've tried to deal with a cop in the past decade or more, you'd know the frustration people are feeling with police. It's easier to talk to an automated system than to have to deal with the attitude of a Chicago cop anymore. They don't want to be bothered - they act like they don't want to help and usually don't. It's all about getting through the 8 hour shift and getting out of that damn uniform. If you don't realize how it is in dealing with a cop, you just haven't tried to do it. Dealing with a cop these days is all negative - nothing positive.
Sorry to be so grim - but anonymous is right.
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Those policemen can march until their feet fall off. The mayor doesn't care what they want and never will. Time to try a new mayor in Chicago. And a new Police Chief too because he and Daley think alike.
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