Police in Chicago have recently doubled the usual rate with pensions, a trend that some officials believe will likely continue and may shorten city streets short of officers.
At least 110 police officers are retired in August and September, and pensions in 2020 are projected to be higher than the past few years, said Michael Lappe, vice president of the Board of Trustees for the Annuity and Benefit Fund of Policemen of Chicago.
“That’s unusual,” Lappe told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Every month we see double the average number of pensions. The average is about 24 per month. ”
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Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. (Photo by Scott Olson / Getty Images)
Lappe blamed the exodus for a change in health insurance benefits, while police union president John Catanzara pointed fingers at the treatment of Mayor Lori Lightfoot by officers.
‘I have no doubt it will continue, and I can clearly see a smaller spike in the top rows [of] lieutenants and above, ”said Catanzara. “Who wants to stay in this environment? If you have the opportunity to leave, there is no incentive to stay longer.
“The mayor does not support us,” he continued. “If you have the financial ability to do this, I do not owe any soul for leaving.”
Chicago 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale said he noticed the recent trend during a meeting last week.
“From the time I entered the police station to the time I left, which was about 35 minutes, there were nine or 10 officers who approached me and said they were leaving,” he said. he the paper. “Every person who passed by said, ‘Hey Beale, I’m out of here.’
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“We are short of officers now, and I’m afraid if people retire, we’ll still be short of officers on the street,” he continued. ‘We work officials twice, three times. It’s only a matter of time before officers are completely burnt out. ”
Protests, skirmishes, and riots in the past few weeks in Chicago have seen at least 30 officers injured, according to reports.
In an interview with Fox & Friends after the looting earlier this month that resulted in more than 100 people being arrested and 13 officers injured, Beale noted: “I think the mayor has lost the trust and control of this city.”
Meanwhile, in New York, the number of NYPD officials filing for retirement has increased, according to a report last month. A total of 503 officers submitted for retirement between May 25 and July 3, which was a jump of 75 percent compared to 2019.
In Seattle on Saturday, a police officer was taken prisoner on video who told an apparent Black Lives Matter protester that he had been fired from the department, saying “You won.”
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Lappe added that a continuing wave of pensions in Chicago could potentially harm the financial health of the pension system, adding that 850 more retirees would be drawn out compared to those working in active duty.
