The Chicago Police Department announced two significant investments in the crime fight – 108 new police officers and five new patrol vehicles equipped with License Plate Reader Technology aimed at stopping carjackings and recovering stolen vehicles. CPD is expanding the License Plate Reader technology to five more new patrol vehicles in an effort to reduce carjackings and recover stolen vehicles. The expansion builds off of a program launched in 2017, that supports the newly formed local, state and federal Vehicular Hijacking Task Force.

108 new officers hitting the street
The 108 new police officers have left the Training Academy and are deployed to their first district assignments, part of the plan to grow CPD by nearly 1,000 officers. Two thirds of the newly assigned officers identify as minority.  After successfully completing their training at the Academy and initial field training, the 108 officers are now being sent to their first detail. The new officers will benefit from the new in-service training requirement, which begins with 16-hours of mandatory training and will necessitate that all Department members to take 40 hours of continuing education annually by 2021. As part of the implementation of the hiring plan, new officers will be deployed to districts each month into 2019. The districts receiving new officers include:

• 1st (Central): 8 new officers
• 2nd (Wentworth): 15 new officers
• 4th (South Chicago):15 new officers
• 6th (Gresham): 10 new officers
• 7th (Englewood): 10 new officers
• 8th (Chicago Lawn): 12 new officers
• 11th (Harrison): 12 new officers
• 12th (Near West): 8 new officers
• 18th (Near North): 8 new officers
• 19th (Town Hall): 10 new officers

The next police entry exam will take place on May 5th at McCormick Place.