By Fran Spielman
The Chicago Sun-Times
CHICAGO — Hiring 200 more police officers next year may not be enough to keep pace with attrition, but it’s the best City Hall can do and still keep its hands out of taxpayers’ pockets, Mayor Daley said Tuesday.
“I need a thousand. Make it 10,000. I mean — everything is not enough. The Park District, the schools — even your family ... You don’t have enough. But do taxpayers have enough money to pay more taxes?” Daley said.
Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donahue said the two new classes will not be enough to keep pace with the natural rate of attrition. During the first six months of 2010, 358 officers retired. At least 116 plan to retire next year, taking advantage of Daley’s offer to retire at 55 with premium health benefits.
“And it’s not gonna do anything to address the 800 shortfall that we’ve experienced since March 2008,” Donahue said.
Daley urged critics to look at what’s happening around the country. “Other cities are laying off fire, police, closing police stations, fire stations — small cities, big cities, medium-sized cities all over the country. We’re trying to maintain our percentages,” he said.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported this week that the city would hire as many as 200 officers next year in addition to the 120-member class that entered the police academy last month.
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