Aldermen Say More Police Officers Needed In Wake Record Overtime
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Some Chicago aldermen say skyrocketing overtime for police officers means it's time to hire more cops on the street, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
The report that the Chicago Police Department spent a record $116 million on overtime last year of course raises the question of whether the city needs more cops.
Alderman Walter Burnett admits it costs less to pay overtime than hire new officers with benefits, but he wants to see hiring stepped up.
"There's a lot of new recruits coming on board and I think they're constantly putting on new recruits, so I think that will help to satisfy some of the overtime," Burnett says.
Alderman Leslie Hairston says this issue is not about overtime but manpower.
"This is something that initially the mayor had said that he was going to do, he was going to bring on a thousand new officers," Alderman Hairston said. "That has not happened. Again, by shuffling the deck, you're not going to stop people from being burnt out."
Police department officials say they are analyzing the use of overtime to better manage how, why and when it is used.