RESTORE ADEQUATE POLICE TO 12 -- RAP12

TO:

Alderman Walter Burnett

Alderman Brian Hopkins
Alderman Roberto Maldonado
Alderman Proco Joe Moreno

FROM:

Restore Adequate Police to 12 RAP12

DATE:

July 11, 2016

Residents of the West Town neighborhoods that are part of the Chicago Police Departments 12th
District/Near West are very supportive of the officers who patrol our area and daily do their best to try and
mitigate the proliferation of crime now affecting us including, but not limited to, fatal and non-fatal shootings,
gang activity, armed car jackings, armed robberies and burglaries.
Because we understand the officers and the command staff are operating with resources that are
increasingly limited -- despite being the largest police district in Chicago -- we have organized under the
banner of Restore Adequate Police to 12 (RAP12) to assist them in ensuring the District has proper
staffing.
When the City of Chicago announced it was closing the Chicago Police Departments 13th District/Wood
Street Station and merging it with the 12th District to form the 12th District/Near West, citizens in the 13th
District were assured that the closed district station would not affect policing and there would be more
officers on the street. (https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20121218/east-village/end-of-era-at-wood-streetstation-as-police-head-south-report-new-brass)
Contrary to the assurances, the staffing levels of the 12th District/Near West have fallen precipitously. In an
attachment to a letter dated Nov. 8, 2011, sent by Supt McCarthy to the Chicago City Council, he estimated
that there would be 524 officers in the merged district (294 from the 12th District and 226 from the 13th
District).
In the above referenced article, at the time of the merger the Mayor confirmed that there were more than
500 officers in the 12th District/Near West.
Now, 32 months later, there are just 329 officers of all ranks. This represents a loss of more than 171
officers, or 34+ percent -- a mere 35 more officers than were in the former 12th District pre-merger.

The 12th District/Near West has long since passed a point where our officers and command staff can do
more with less. Our safety, and that of officers, is at great risk.
As citizens who have seen their property tax bills increase by 25-50 percent, or renters who are feeling that
increase via raised rents, we demand to get our fair share of police services before the increases in our
crime rates match that which weve seen on our tax bills.
To begin to restore a proper police presence in the 12th District/Near West, we respectfully request that our
Aldermen work with the Mayor and Supt Eddie Johnson to do the following:

Add a net of 25 officers to the 12th District/Near West by December 31, 2016 for a total of 354
officers;

Add another 25 by June 30, 2017 for a total of 404 officers, which will return the District to the
August 16, 2014 level (per a July 28, 2014 FOIA request);

To temporarily boost the number of officers on the street during peak crime hours, offer 12th District
officers the opportunity to work overtime on 1st Watch on Saturday and Sunday and 3rd Watch on
Friday and Saturday;

Return all officers currently detailed out of the 12th District/Near West for Summer Mobile and Bike
Patrols;

Stop detailing officers to other districts to cover for special events unless it is on their regular day
off; and

Extend free health benefits for officers citywide that are 55 and have 20 years on the job for an
additional three years (age of 58) to encourage veteran officers to stay preventing a mass exodus
in the next year giving CPD time to train new officers to take their place.

We, the undersigned, strongly believe these are exceptionally reasonable requests and ask that each of
you aldermen who represent citizens that reside, own businesses or work in the old 13th District/Wood
Street --immediately begin working with us to achieve these 12th District/Near West staffing objectives.
As of 10:30 am today, there are more than 826 signees here:
https://www.change.org/p/walter-burnett-restore-adequate-police-to-12-rap12