Mayor Rahm Emanuel today joined Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie Johnson in commemorating the graduation of 293 new police officers, sergeants and lieutenants in a ceremony at Navy Pier as part of ongoing hiring plan to grow CPD by nearly 1,000 officers. The graduating class includes 230 new police officers and celebrates the promotion of 50 Sergeants and 13 Lieutenants.

“These new officers are part of fulfilling a hiring plan that is meeting our city’s challenges head on,” said Mayor Emanuel. “I congratulate these new police officers and those stepping into leadership roles for answering the call to be the change and helping to make our city safer, stronger and more secure.”

Today’s 230 graduating police recruits are 30% women and approximately 64% from minority backgrounds. In addition, the graduating class includes 85 CPS graduates, 24 veterans and 21 who have a CPD family member. Police recruits spent six months at the Police Academy and will now begin their one-year probationary period, which includes three months training with a Field Training Officer and district patrol functions.

“The individuals that we celebrate today, who will serve as our newest police officers and supervisors, are part of the next generation of CPD members that will forever change how we serve the City,” said CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson. “Through best-in-class training, they have learned the value of de-escalation tactics, body cameras, and cultural sensitivity among other topics. I would like to thank them for answering the call to serve in and helping us to be a better Department for every Chicagoan in every community.”

In addition to the new police recruits graduating, CPD is celebrating new promotions, including the promotion of 50 Sergeants and 13 Lieutenants. The addition of these ranks will provide police officers increased facetime with supervisors and ensure greater professional standards when enacting new reform measures across Departmental units. Prior to promotion, Sergeants spend six weeks training in the Academy and Lieutenants spend five weeks training.

This graduation continues to fulfill CPD’s hiring plan to add nearly 1,000 officers to the Department that reflect the values of the communities they serve. Since the beginning of 2017, more than 2,400 CPD members have been hired or promoted as part of the hiring plan. This includes more than 1,600 new recruits, 77 Lieutenants, 214 Sergeants, 370 Detectives and 213 Field Training Officers who have entered the Academy.

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