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Emanuel: Daley’s Security Detail To Stay For Now

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Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said that former Mayor Richard M. Daley was keeping his full police security detail for now, but the situation would be re-evaluated at the end of the summer. (Credit: CBS)

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CHICAGO (CBS) – Mayor Rahm Emanuel acknowledged Tuesday that former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s security detail is not being reduced for now, but he indicated it would be soon.

Daley is being allowed to keep the same number of police officers on his security detail as he had when he was in office.

But as CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley reports, Daley might not have the perk for long.

Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy announced Friday that his own security detail and those of Emanuel, powerful Ald. Edward Burke (14th), City Treasurer Stephanie Neely and other city and county officials were being reduced.

Tuesday was the first chance for reporters to question Emanuel about the issue.

Emanuel said that Daley’s days with his full, city-paid security staff are numbered and Daley knows it..

LISTEN: Newsradio 780 Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports


The size and scope of Daley’s security staff, which includes two police cars and an unknown number of active duty officers, hasn’t changed one bit since he left office.

But Mayor Emanuel said that it will, eventually.

“The former mayor’s security detail was always designed to be transitional and temporary and that’s how it will be,” Emanuel said. “There will be an evaluation again on security needs towards the end of the summer.”

A security review completed by McCarthy’s office did reduce the police guard for some political heavyweights.

Emanuel’s and McCarthy’s own police security details have been reduced.

Burke, Chicago’s longest serving alderman and chairman of the City Council’s Finance Committee, will lose his four active-duty police guards and have them replaced by two retired cops.

Neely will lose her two active duty cops and have them replaced by a single retired officer.

Switching to retired cops saves taxpayers’ money.

“That’s a significant cost savings for the city if we can hire civilians who are trained professionals to do the same jobs that police officers are doing,” McCarthy said.

Security details for Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and the Chicago Housing Authority’s CEO have been eliminated.

“That’s around eight officers that now will be on the street and, in related to savings,” Emanuel said.

The moves will save the city around $650,000 a year, Emanuel said.

The old security system was taking up 31 sworn officers, costing $2.8 million a year for protecting Daley, Emanuel, McCarthy, Burke and former CHA chief Louis Jordan.

Emanuel, who traveled with three city cops on Tuesday, said that’s too much money, noting his own security detail has been reduced.

Emanuel said the reduction in security details is part of his pledge to put more officers to the streets. More than 650 cops have already been switched from administrative duties to active policing since Emanuel took office.

As for Daley’s security detail, Emanuel said Daley has acknowledged from the beginning that his big police detail will not be permanent.

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  • Citizen for a Livable Chicago

    The Mayor of Chicago needs a security detail and not a reduced security detail. The former Mayor of Chicago should get a reduced security for one year in transition. Everyone else, forget it.

    • Jim

      That would work for me…

      • Gerri

        Woot, I will cretanily put this to good use!

  • Rahm for President

    Rahm cleaning house! That’s exactly what this city has needed for the past 20 years. Now let’s clean out the rest of the grease left behind by Daley. GREAT JOB!!

  • Chivi

    Daley was in office way too long!! What a mess!!

  • Tom

    Why does Daley need a security detail? In particular, one with so many moving parts. Cops come into contact with serial criminals, violent psychpaths, murders, parolee’s and gangsters every day that threaten to kill them. Three off duty cops haved been murdered in the past year. Additionally, the current Governor of California (and that’s a state with a few odd balls) has a one person security detail. What am I missing? Sorry. At the end of the day Daley and these politicians just aren’t important enough to warrant a security detail. The reason that’s it has been done up until last week can be explained by the age old adage of, “we do it now because it’s always been done that way”.

    • Native Chicagoan

      Yep. That about sums up the dumbness.

  • Taxpayer 2

    Thank God for Mayor Rahm Emanuel. This guy is truly using his head. Mr. Mayor fantastic job thus far. Way to go!

  • Larry

    Fantastic job? Are you kidding? We’re talking about the guy who came in on day one and lied about what happened at North Avenue Beach on Memorial Day, right? Right! Mr. Half-Truth and Outright Lies. Fantastic job, my foot!

  • jaycee

    Jane Byrne never had security detail when she left office she must have bigger balls then DALEY

    Must be payback time for MS Neely is a trustee on the police pension board when DALEY nephew and friend got over $30 million for their business which went bankrupt another TOWN CAR for her ?

    Their CREDIT cards are better then the STATE LINK CARD

    Only reason he saying TEMPORARY he think the taxpayers will forget

    Rahm is DALEY and BURKE puppet he` on their string

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