New arrivalYou can now listen to Fox News articles.
The Chicago Police Department is promoting the hiring of a newly separated US Marine Corps to overcome the shortage of more than 1,000 officers.
“In reality, the gap needs to be closed quickly,” said Migdalia Brunes, deputy director of the Chicago Police Department, according to CBS.
The ministry said it recently hired 50 new officers, but that number is still about 1,300 short of what they need. The reality was that Brunes and six other officers, all Marines veterans, were taken to Camp Pendleton, California, and the Chicago Police Department recruited Marines on their way out of service.
Filling the void is for city police as other police stations across the country are also facing a shortage of officers following a wave of resignations and retirement of officers as a result of protests against George Floyd’s death in 2020. It’s not an easy task. According to a survey of 172 police stations nationwide by the Police Executive Research Forum, layoffs have increased by 25%, while resignations have increased by 40% since 2019.
Chicago’s five-month-old girl dies after being shot in the head: “disgrace”
“These negative changes are almost certainly the extreme stress that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to police in 2020 and 2021 and the thousands of protests and demonstrations after George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Caused by violence and hostility against police officers. “”
However, some wonder if relying on Marine Corps veterans, a group of highly trained and healthy individuals, is the appropriate solution to the shortage.
“First of all, are we making the law enforcement process too radical?” Brunes asks. “No, we are not. They are as individuals as we are, as you are. The process eliminates people with problems.”
Chicago police are currently streamlining the process of joining the Marines when they leave service and are conducting immediate drug tests and background checks on the 19 Marines who applied to the unit at Camp Pendleton. This process took several months to complete, but was soon reduced to three weeks to become a civilian Marine.
Click here to get the Fox News app
“I just want to lower the crime rate and serve a great community,” Cpl said. Jeremiah Harrington, one of the Marines applying, said she was interested in serving in this sector.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment on the push to hire the Marines.