The union representing 10,000 Chicago police officers urged its members to refrain from volunteering for extra shifts over Labor Day weekend.
The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) sent out a Wednesday memo declaring Sept. 2 through Sept. 5, “FOP Unity Days,” urging its members to refrain from volunteering for any overtime work from Friday through Labor Day.
The strenuous relationship between police officers and the Chicago community comes as the city wrapped up its most violent month in 20 years. Eighty-six people were murdered in August, bringing Chicago’s murder number to 478 in 2016. Last year, 9 people were killed, and 46 others were wounded over Labor Day, which prompted the boycott request.
The memo urged its officers to boycott any additional work over the holiday weekend in order to, “show unity and to protest the continued disrespect of Chicago Police Officers and the killings of Law Enforcement Officers across our Country.”
Specifically, the union requested FOP Members to, “refrain from volunteering to work for any and all Special, Secondary and other types of Non-Mandatory Employment for the entire Labor Day Weekend.” The memo included a list of locations and police deployments that may request additional help which included their DUI Task Force, Airport special detail, public transit surges as well as popular tourist locations such as Navy Pier and McCormick Place. The memo specifically asks officer’s to refrain from working overtime at these locations.
The Chicago Police Department told the Chicago Tribune that they were confident about adequate staffing levels for the Labor Day Weekend. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said that while he would never get upset with the union encouraging officers to spend more time with their families, “the best way for officers to support one another is to be out there for each other.”
The DCNF reached out to officials with the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, but did not receive a reply by press time.
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