Mayor Lightfoot, Chicago Police Superintendent Johnson Welcome New Recruits to The Academy

Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson today announced 35 new recruits are joining the Training Academy. As the city celebrates the next generation of leaders in the CPD, new officers continue to join the force every year. Today's recruit class will build on the Chicago Police Department's two-year hiring plan to add 970 additional officers, which was completed last year.

"This new class of recruits represent men and women from every part of our city, reflecting the values all our neighborhoods and communities share," said Mayor Lightfoot. "Our first responders deserve not only our admiration, but they also need our commitment to the finest training, best supervision and wellness support to address the trauma they confront daily."

The Police Department is not only growing in total size but is also more diverse today than ever before. CPD has the most diverse leadership in the Department's history, and this new class builds on the progress that has been made, as the 35 new recruits include 66% from minority backgrounds, with 46% identifying as Hispanic, 11% African-American and 9% Asian-American. In addition, 20% of the recruits are female. Approximately 20% are also military veterans.

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"These new recruits bring with them new ideas as well as an enthusiasm for making Chicago a safer place to live, work and play," said Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson. "I look forward to seeing how these men and women put their training to use. I expect our city will benefit for many years to come from the actions of these ambitious newcomers."

During six months of training at Training 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, mental health awareness, crisis intervention and de-escalation, use of force, community building and critical thinking.

"Being a police officer is more than a career, it is a calling," said Alderman Taliaferro, chair of the Committee on Public Safety. "There is no higher calling than restoring safety and peace in our neighborhoods and our officers are indispensable to that effort."

The first three months of their new career in law enforcement will begin under the tutelage of a Field Training Officer. These specially-trained officers share their experiences with the new graduates, walking them through everything from filling out paperwork to apprehending an offender.

After graduation, they will have access to new tools, technology and resources to partner with the community and fight violent crime. In each of the districts, new station-based strategic nerve centers, mobile technology and crime cameras are deployed to assist in district-level crime strategies and investigations.

Filed Under: Government, City

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