Chicago Police Announce Consolidations and More Police on Street

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry F. McCarthy today highlighted key changes that are set to take place tomorrow as the result of strategic planning efforts to enhance police service in the City by eliminating unnecessary layers in the Department and placing more officers in patrol assignments.

“We have put more officers on the street and we are creating efficiencies to better serve the residents in communities across Chicago,” said Superintendent McCarthy at a press conference at the Town Hall District, 850 W. Addison St.  “The changes we are putting in place underscore our commitment to ensuring responsive police service and for solving and preventing crime.”

Effective March 4, consolidated 1st, 2nd, 9th, and 19th Districts and Central (Area 1), South (Area 2), and North (Area 3) Detective Bureaus will return nearly 100 officers to patrol duties from administrative assignments and increase the number of front line officers on the street.

The consolidations mark the first major change in District structure in more than 30 years, and optimizes beat formations to meet the growing needs of communities across the city.

“Last August, we announced fundamental changes to the Department’s organization to streamline operations and provide greater authority and accountability, with the goal of providing enhanced services to Chicagoans,” McCarthy said. “These changes build upon that success by putting the best possible leadership team and command structure in place to make every community safe.”

Redeployments serve to promote greater beat integrity and increased community interaction with officers who are dedicated to beat assignments. As patrol officers are able to more effectively identify problem-solving strategies to address crime in the community, a re-organized Department structure will facilitate the flow of information-sharing. 

McCarthy announced that 19 reassignments across the Patrol and Detective Bureaus are effective tomorrow to support the reorganization of the Area Commands and Districts. Last month, the Police Department reassigned five command staff members, adding up to a total of 24 reassignments to ensure the CPD has “the right structure, with the right people in the right positions” to get the job done is in place, according to McCarthy.