Chicago (CBS) — Chicago Police Department officers worked a record number of overtime hours last year, and the trend continues this year as summer just got underway.
This year, there are several months of major events planned, especially Democratic National Convention In August.
last year’s 52nd Pride Parade, Downtown NASCAR Cup Series Race4 days Lollapalooza Music FestivalChicago Police officers logged 4,151,294 hours of overtime per year in 2023, including other duties, according to a CBS News Data Team analysis.
This cost taxpayers approximately $300 million.
This figure is a significant increase from the previous figure, which averaged about 1.4 million overtime hours per year. (Note in the graph below that data was not available for October, November, and December 2022.)
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“They’re people too, and they need proper rest,” said Eugene Roy, now retired chief of detectives for the Chicago Police Department.
From his experience in the department, Roy knows all too well the fatigue of working overtime.
“We need to look at the underlying numbers that are driving this situation, which is police manpower,” Roy said.
The Chicago Police Department did not comment on specific numbers when asked, instead saying in a statement:
“The Chicago Police Department takes fiscal responsibility seriously and regularly reviews our internal operations to ensure that our overtime budget is being used efficiently and effectively.
“Overtime has been used to maintain public safety during the officer shortages that have affected not only the Chicago Police Department but police departments in major cities across the nation. As we work to fill these vacancies, we must ensure we have adequate resources citywide.”
The Chicago Police Department recently announced it was cutting its force by about 2,000 officers. Experts, including Roy, Democratic National Convention There will definitely be more overtime this year.
“The fundamental functions of the Chicago Police Department must still be performed – to patrol and respond to calls for assistance from our residents and the community,” Roy said.
Chicago Police Capt. Larry Snelling himself said he expects police hours to be extended and holidays to be canceled during the tournament.
“We are considering extending work hours during the week and cancelling holidays to ensure we have the staffing we need,” he said.
Snelling said the police department will be “careful” about how it uses overtime and notify officers in advance, which has already been done, with internal emails obtained by CBS 2 notifying officers that days off will be canceled and they may be working 12-hour shifts around the Fourth of July.
“If the amount of spending is bothering local residents and others, I think it’s much more important to be proactive than to be reactive,” said Cheryl Dorsey, a former LAPD sergeant and policing expert.
Dorsey said many officers would welcome the extra overtime pay, but making officers feel appreciated is the only way to get staffing levels up to the right level, she said.
“If you’re short-staffed and overworking your existing staff, you should try harder to hire,” Dorsey said.
The City Council set aside just $100 million to cover Chicago Police overtime in the fiscal year 2024 budget.
