Mayor Rahm Emanuel today joined Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie Johnson in welcoming 100 new recruits to the Training Academy. This is the final class of recruits for 2016.

“Being a police officer is more than a job. It is more than a career. It is a calling,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Officers come together from different backgrounds, different cultures, and different faiths for a common cause: to serve and protect the people of the City of Chicago. And this whole city will be behind our officers, rooting for their success.”

During the six month police academy, recruits learn all applicable laws and protocols for being a Chicago Police Officer. In addition to physical training, they also receive extensive instruction in crisis intervention, de-escalation, use of force, community building and critical thinking. CPD is adding a state of the art scenario based curriculum so that we can ensure officers receive the high quality training for the complex challenges that await them. This month’s recruitment class is 60% nonwhite, nearly 30% female, and eight recruits have served in the military. Since 2011, CPD has hired 2,446 candidates, with 617 hired this year.

In September CPD announced a plan to add 500 police officers, 200 detectives, 92 field training officers, 112 sergeants, and 50 lieutenants for a total of 970 new positions over the next two years, in addition to the existing vacancies. To fulfill this goal, the Training Academy will begin matriculating 100 new recruits almost every month of 2017, and a new partnership between the Chicago Police Department, the City Colleges of Chicago and DeVry University will expand CPD's training capacity for new recruits and existing members of the Department.

"These dedicated young men and women represent the next generation of Chicago police officers who will dedicate their lives to safeguarding our neighborhoods and rebuilding the vital trust between officers and the communities we serve," said Superintendent Eddie Johnson. “As they progress on their journey to taking their oath of office, CPD is committed to providing them with state of the art training and support so they can serve Chicago with professionalism and distinction.”

In November, the City began accepting applications for the next Police Entry Exam in April 2017. To ensure that the Department continues to become more reflective of the communities they serve, the City launched a recruitment campaign aimed at increasing the diversity of candidates. The theme of this year’s recruitment campaign is, “Be the Change,” which reflects the belief that this new generation of police officers will be future leaders who define how police support, protect, and work together with Chicago's communities.

The deadline to apply for the April 2017 Exam is January 31. The Training Academy will host its first “Be the Change” Open House on Saturday, December 17. To learn more about CPD’s recruitment efforts, please visit www.chicagopolice.org/bethechange or follow “Be The Change” on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bethechangecpd, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bethechangecpd or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/bethechangecpd.

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