Page 15 - June2021

A letter from a Chicago Police Officer
To Whom It May Concern,
Today I stand before you seeking a solution to the 12-hour days and cancelled RDOs. This simply needs to come to an end. I’ve spoken to many police officers and they unanimously agree that this compulsory schedule is damaging to our health, both mental and physical.
I can’t continue to acquiesce to every city demand that compromises my family life. It was around this time last year that I began a near 20-day stretch of 12 and sometimes 14-16 hour shifts without days off. I recall sleeping on the couch be- cause I didn’t want to wake up my wife during that time. Though what I recall most was when my own son didn’t recognize me because I had been away from home for so long. I still haven’t recovered from that moment.
We are not military women or men. The citizens have cried out to our city to stop militarizing the police. The first step to rectify the issue of police militarization is to stop the 12-hour days and cancelled RDOs. On any holiday where we work extended tours or work on our RDOs, it seems the city of Chicago looks more like a governmental occupation rather than a celebration.
In an era where our citizens demand less police, I believe this proposal will greatly meet their plea. I shouldn’t fail to men- tion that we are still in the midst of a pandemic, and shoving 4-5 officers in a van or squad car or triple that amount into a bus, mask and all, will still promote the spread of COVID-19.
I hope as I stand before you today that you not only agree with me that these extended tours and cancelled RDOs are excessive but that an action plan is put into place to end the 12-hour tours and cancelled RDOs.
I’ve confided in many supervisors about this very topic and I always receive the same answers. It’s either “This is what you signed up for!” or “You should be happy about the money you’re getting paid.” While I’ll always be grateful to be employed by the city of Chicago, I think everyone would agree that the money we make will not follow us into the next life and that time and health are far more valuable than any dollar bill or monetary gain.
By the way, I don’t think anyone signed up for this. In my first few years on the job this practice was never put into place until Superintendent McCarthy’s reign and has gotten far worse year after year. Many old-timers agree that never in their career, no matter how short manpower was, had they been forced to work a 12-hour tour or succumb to a cancelled RDO.
I should also mention that I don’t think anyone would disagree that working all of this excessive overtime is an undeniable drain on our tax dollars. I’d imagine the dollar amount spent on police overtime is far into the millions and possibly close to the billions.
In all, I’d like you to take our health into consideration. EAP is great. The chaplain’s unit is great. However, these are mere- ly a means to vent about our problems and not a means to truly fix them. The problems that we have at home are likely created by the excessive time we spend at work, which we then carry with us to work. An issue that perpetuates another issue and frankly, I’m tired of the police suicides and accidental deaths due to exhaustion. What is the end game? When will this end?
A Concerned Chicago Police Officer
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JUNE 2021 15