One Chicago Police officer went shopping at a suburban mall.
Another grabbed some food at a restaurant.
And a third officer took a trip to the Caribbean.
That’s what the Chicago Police Department says. And the problem is the officers were all on sick leave. And they were required to stay home to recuperate unless they called a supervisor first to say where they were going.
Police investigators conducted surveillance and documented them leaving their homes. But none of them contacted their supervisors beforehand, the department says.
Those cases are among about 1,800 that have been investigated by the department’s Medical Integrity Unit, which was formed in 2009 by former police Supt. [J-Fled] Weis.
As a result of the investigations, the department is seeking to fire 14 officers for alleged violations of the medical policy. Another 19 face possible suspensions and about 70 have received lesser forms of discipline, according to the department.
They even outline some of the violations. And wonder of wonders, the Police Board actually metes out appropriate punishment in some of the cases. But guess what else?
- During the next two months, the police board will hear four other cases in which the superintendent is seeking to fire officers for allegedly violating the medical policy.