Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie Johnson today welcomed 125 new police recruits to the Department's Training Academy, the tenth class of new recruits this year as part of the Department’s hiring plan to add nearly 1,000 officers by the end of next year. This group of new recruits is 23 percent female and 66 percent minority, and includes 19 military veterans, 42 CPS graduates, and 20 who have a CPD family member. The Mayor's proposed budget invests in the success of the hiring plan, which will continue to add more officers to the Department each month through next year.

"I whole-heartedly welcome these new recruits, who will be part of a comprehensive public safety strategy that includes mentorship, education and economic investment as much as it includes the passion of each and every officer joining CPD today," said Mayor Emanuel. “We are going to continue to invest in this new generation of officers to ensure they have the tools, training and resources they need to be successful partners with the community to fight crime. Next year, we are doubling down on strategies that work, like the strategic nerve centers that have helped support Englewood’s historic reduction in shootings, combining human intelligence gathered by officers with data analytics to ensure our police are focusing their efforts on the right people at the right times.”  

The ongoing hiring plan is part of the city's comprehensive public safety strategy - including investing in proactive policing strategies in historically violent police districts, expanding youth services like mentoring for at risk youth and driving neighborhood economic development. While more work certainly remains, 18 of Chicago's 22 police districts have seen declines in shootings this year and there have been over 700 fewer shooting victims citywide in 2017. Since the beginning of 2017, more than 1,000 new recruits, 52 Lieutenants, 142 Sergeants, 270 Detectives and 119 Field Training Officers have entered the Academy.

"The next class of new recruits into the Training Academy is part of our sustained commitment to making CPD a better agency and making Chicago safer," said CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson. "Thanks to the proactive policing efforts of our officers, along with the investments we are making in technology, we have seen significantly less gun violence this year and I am confident that as we continue our hiring plan, we will see even further reductions.  I would like to thank our newest recruits for answering the call to serve."

Last week, Mayor Emanuel joined CPD in commemorating the graduation of 209 officers in a ceremony at Navy Pier as part of ongoing hiring plan. The graduating class includes 199 new police officers and celebrates the promotion of also recognizing the promotion of four new District Commanders, in the 15^th (Austin), 12^th (Near West), 9^th (Deering) and 3^rd (Grand Crossing) districts, as well as five new Captains. The graduation ceremony also congratulated Dwayne Betts as CPD’s new Deputy Chief of Community Policing. 

During six months of training at Police Academy, recruits learn all applicable laws and protocols for being a Chicago Police Officer. In addition to physical training, they receive instruction in procedural justice, crisis intervention and de-escalation, use of force, community building and critical thinking. As part of Mayor Emanuel's proposed budget, when these officer graduate they will have access to the tools, technology and resources to partner with the community to fight violent crime. This includes last week's announced expansion of strategic nerve centers that support police in preventing, combating and responding to violent crime in the south and west sides. In the 3^rd (Grand Crossing) and 4^th (South Chicago) police districts, station-based Strategic Decision Support Centers, district-wide gunshot detection systems, POD crime cameras and mobile phone technology will be installed by the end of January 2018 aimed at keeping residents safe in every neighborhood. 

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