More Than 800 CPD Officers Working Civilian Desk Jobs
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As CBS 2 reported earlier this month, nearly 800 Chicago Police officers are not on the streets fighting crime, but rather working desk jobs.
CBS 2's Mai Martinez has been trying to find out why CPD isn't using those officers to do the job they were trained for, given the crime in Chicago. The number is likely much higher than 800 officers, as originally reported.
CPD does not want to respond as to why the officers are being kept inside at CPD headquarters and at districts throughout the city, rather than fighting crime on the streets.
Tuesday, CPD welcomed another graduating class of more than 200 officers, but Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson declined multiple requests for a one-on-one interview.
Mai Martinez: "Is it fair to ask taxpayers to pay for new officers when we have hundreds of officers doing desk jobs that have been identified as possible civilian jobs?"
Supt. Eddie Johnson: "As you see, we're growing the department by a thousand, but we also have to support the field officers with administrative support officers."
According to a 2013 analysis of 30 CPD units by the Inspector General's Office, more than 300 of those "administrative support officers" were doing jobs civilians could do, at a savings of $6.4 to $16.6 million dollars.
"The difference between Chicago and other leading cities is so large that you cannot bridge it. You cannot spin it. Chicago hasn't done what it could do," stated Inspector General Joe Ferguson.
Civilians only make up about 6% of CPD's workforce. In Los Angeles, civilans account for about 22% of LAPD jobs. In New York City, civilians make up close to 35% of the NYPD.
"It's costing the taxpayer's money because it cost more to train and to pay sworn personnel than it does civilians," explained Ferguson.
When the Inspector General's 2013 report was released, Mayor Emanuel said, "A police officer who's been trained to do police work is doing clerical, administrative work behind a desk. Now why would you ask taxpayers for more when you're not using what you have today well?"
In 2016, that's exactly what the mayor did – announcing a 2-year hiring plan to add nearly 1,000 new officers to the force, as the number of sworn officers in administrative positions grew.
In 2013, there were 310 officers in what could've been civilian positions. As of August 1, the number is at 805.
Mai Martinez: "Do you think this is a waste of taxpayer money?"
Ferguson: "Yes. If the department conducted a thorough analysis operation wide, the number would be much higher."
At the graduation, sworn officers in uniform were spotted doing civilian work, taking pictures and recording video of the ceremony.
"There should be a default. If you carry a gun, you should be out on the street or you should be directly supporting or supervising those who are out on the street and not doing administrative functions," Ferguson said.
Superintendent Eddie Johnson defended the use of sworn-in some of those positions, but said they are reevaluating.
"The positions that we can civilianize we are going to," Johnson said. "We're working on [a timetable.] But we have to work in conjunction with the city's budget office, also, so we're getting there."
The mayor's office delinked repeated requests for an interview or comment on this story.
At one point, a spokesperson questioned the accuracy of the data, which CBS 2's Mai Martinez pointed out was the city's data and available for public viewing on the Inspector General's website.
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