Understaffed CPD moving officers from desk duty to patrol to help with Labor Day weekend safety efforts
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police have a huge challenge ahead, keeping people safe on what historically has been one of the city's most dangerous weekends.
Labor Day marks the end of summer, bringing a ton of public events to Chicago, and in recent years a spike in crime.
Safety top of mind as the busy Labor Day weekend kicks off. Sources have been telling CBS 2 the Chicago Police Department is understaffed, and we asked how CPD plans to secure the city over the holiday weekend.
It's going to be an all-hands-on-deck approach.
Brown said officers will have one day off canceled this weekend, but not both. But some officers are also going to be reassigned.
"The demand obviously is a scheduling challenge for us, and yes, we have reassigned some of our officers from desk duties to field duties; doing patrols so that our presence can be felt," Police Supt. David Brown said.
Brown said the CPD is having a hard time hiring enough officers to fill the hundreds of vacancies within the department. He said part of keeping the city safe over the Labor Day weekend means shifting officers from desk duty to patrol.
"We need to fill our vacancies, no question about it," Brown said.
From the Chicago Jazz Festival in Millennium Park to the AVP Gold Series professional volleyball tournament at the Oak Street Beach, there is no shortage of events to mark the end of the season.
There also will be no shortage of boats soaking in the final days of summer. Indeed, there is something to do this weekend for just about everyone – and police want to make sure it's safe for all.
"We will have sufficient resources in our neighborhoods, in our parks, in our entertainment districts, downtown areas - for the many events happening this weekend," Brown said.
For Chicago's top cop on these sunny days, there is a lot on his mind when it comes to safety - and repairing the city's sometimes cloudy reflection when it comes to crime.
Typically, Labor Day weekend is not only one of the busiest of the year in Chicago, but also one of the most violent. Last year, at least 59 people were shot and wounded over the Labor Day weekend in Chicago, the highest number over that weekend in years. On top of that, there were an additional six homicides. There was also a spike in assaults and batteries – 66 and 90, respectively – both the highest over the same weekend in the past three years.
This year, carjackings also remain and concern – and that's far from all.
"Not only carjackings – we're dealing with CTA crime, and we are also dealing with drag racing and drifting," Brown said.
The superintendent said this weekend there will be more bike patrols to help with security at major events. He said the CPD also will maintain a high uniformed presence on public transportation, and the department will fully staff their camera monitoring team – the officers who watch city-owned cameras, including the ones on CTA property.
To do this Brown acknowledged CPD is shifting officers from desk duty to patrol, while at the same time working to ensure officers receive needed time off while the city is kept safe.
As to the CTA, on Friday, K-9 teams were put to work on the Red Line — where violent crime is up. The Chicago Transit Authority's 18-month contract could lead to as many as 50 dogs deployed at various train stations — at a cost of more than $30 million dollars.
"When I seen those officers and that canine, I knew like Chicago PD is out here — and you know, they're keeping us safe, and they're doing the best that they can," said Red Line rider Precious Williams.
Meantime, the Chicago Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard are urging people not to swim alone – or at all if there is no lifeguard on duty, as will be the case after 7 p.m. Monday night, marking the end of the city's official beach season. The Chicago Park District only stations lifeguards at beaches between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, with swimming banned when there are no lifeguards.
"You want to make sure that you're not swimming by yourself. Even good swimmers can have a bad day. Please don't swim alone. Swim with a partner, and understand that even the strongest swimmers can be overtaken by rip currents and other conditions out on the lake," said CFD Deputy District Chief Jason Lach.
A Beach Hazards Statement is in effect beginning Saturday afternoon and going through Sunday afternoon. High waves of up to 6 feet and dangerous currents are expected on Lake Michigan beaches. The National Weather Service warns this means swimming conditions will be life-threatening – especially for inexperienced swimmers.
Another priority for CPD this weekend is stopping illegal street racing and other dangerous driving stunts known as "street takeovers," or sideshows CPD has a task force dedicated to stopping such activity, for which the superintendent said will be out this weekend trying to impound cars involved.
"All of the things that we're trying, as far as using large vehicles like the salt trucks, trying to box these people in, we have a dedicated task force. We have efforts looking at video, to include social media video, our POD camera video, our license plate readers, to identify these knuckleheads so that we can take their cars," Brown said.
That tactic is contrary to what can be seen in video sent exclusively to CBS 2, showing drivers at a street takeover last Wednesday. It showed an officer apparently banging on the window of a car with his baton as the vehicle tries to leave, the window shattering onto passengers.
Brown insisted the task force's focus is just on seizing cars.
"If they don't have their cars, we don't have this problem. So our efforts all culminate to do one thing. We're focused on taking the cars that are drag racing and drifting in Chicago, so that such that they can't do it again," he said.
Police wouldn't comment on what happened in that video.
Chicago Police also made it clear that visible uniformed patrols will increase this weekend, with a focus on beaches and parks. We, of course, will have to wait and see if these plans pay off.
