This is stupid.
The Department disbands MSF and TRU, sending a few hundred officers back to the districts. Rahm touts this as "a big deal" putting 1,000 more officers on the streets, even though these officers were already on the streets.
Then the Department holds a round of bidding, opening up 501 spots citywide so people can move places (although something like 400 of the spots were in less than desirable districts). Then they hold a "super-bid" to fill the leftover spots.
Now Downtown Ernie Brown comes out with an order creating Area Strike Teams. Guess who's manning those? Remember all those bodies coming to the districts? Over a hundred of them never made it there. Here's a breakdown:
The Department disbands MSF and TRU, sending a few hundred officers back to the districts. Rahm touts this as "a big deal" putting 1,000 more officers on the streets, even though these officers were already on the streets.
Then the Department holds a round of bidding, opening up 501 spots citywide so people can move places (although something like 400 of the spots were in less than desirable districts). Then they hold a "super-bid" to fill the leftover spots.
Now Downtown Ernie Brown comes out with an order creating Area Strike Teams. Guess who's manning those? Remember all those bodies coming to the districts? Over a hundred of them never made it there. Here's a breakdown:
- Area 1 - 1 Lt, 2 Sgts, 21 PO's
- Area 2 - 1 Lt, 2 Sgts, 19 PO's
- Area 3 - 1 Lt, 2 Sgts, 19 PO's
- Area 4 - 1 Lt, 2 Sgts, 19 PO's
- Area 5 - 2 Sgts, 16 PO's
And the truly laughable part? The Area 3 Strike Team? Not one of the Officers nor the Lieutenant are even from Area 3 Districts. Seriously. In fact, 8 of the Officers are from 007. All together, 24 PO's assigned to 007 went to various Strike Teams across the city.
We don't know how much whack it takes to get detailed from 003, 005, 006 and 007 to the Area 5 Strike Team, but 14 of the 16 PO's managed it.
Look, we understand people got the short end of the stick from the Department, but this was predicted years ago and the City was completely within the contract to do so. Were we happy about it? No.
But now the Department Administration is denying officers who might have had opportunities to work in a "specialized" or small team environment the opportunity to do so by once again playing political football with the clouted few. Rahm, Ernie and McEgo are touting their "back to the beat" philosophy on one hand, while detailing people from one end of the city to the other. We thought they were trying to avoid that BS and maintain the appearance of bringing the Districts up to strength, but it certainly looks like business as usual.
And people are still retiring and we still aren't hiring.
We don't know how much whack it takes to get detailed from 003, 005, 006 and 007 to the Area 5 Strike Team, but 14 of the 16 PO's managed it.
Look, we understand people got the short end of the stick from the Department, but this was predicted years ago and the City was completely within the contract to do so. Were we happy about it? No.
But now the Department Administration is denying officers who might have had opportunities to work in a "specialized" or small team environment the opportunity to do so by once again playing political football with the clouted few. Rahm, Ernie and McEgo are touting their "back to the beat" philosophy on one hand, while detailing people from one end of the city to the other. We thought they were trying to avoid that BS and maintain the appearance of bringing the Districts up to strength, but it certainly looks like business as usual.
And people are still retiring and we still aren't hiring.