Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Eddie Johnson today commemorated 365 new and promoted CPD members during a graduation ceremony at Navy Pier. During the ceremony, the Department celebrated the graduation of 297 new police officers and the promotion of 68 officers to supervisor positions.

This latest class of graduates will build on two years of consecutive declines in violent crimes, including a 37 percent decline in homicides and an 18 percent reduction in shootings compared to this same period last year.

"I want to congratulate each of these sworn members who put on their uniform and badge to serve and protect the people of Chicago with dignity, integrity, and professionalism every day,” Mayor Emanuel. "Thanks to the commitment of the men and women graduating and being promoted today, Chicago’s future will be brighter, stronger and safer.”

The 297 police officers graduating includes 59 percent from minority backgrounds, 29 percent women, 37 percent CPS graduates, 13 percent veterans, and 15 percent who have a CPD family member. Police recruits spent six months at the Police Academy and will now begin their one-year probationary period, which includes three months training with a Field Training officer and district patrol functions.

The first three months of their new career in law enforcement will begin under the tutelage of a Field Training Officer. These specially-trained officers share their experiences with the new graduates, walking them through everything from filling out paperwork to apprehending an offender.

"The Chicago Police Department continues to add the highest quality of recruits to its rank and file," said CPD Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson. "I am proud of these young men and women for making the choice to serve and protect the citizens of Chicago with dignity and respect. These new officers are the future of CPD, and the future is bright."

This on-the-job training comes after six months of intense course work at the academy. These courses are based on a new curriculum that is modeled on what officers experience in the field. Officers also study crisis de-escalation tactics, community building, the appropriate use of force and more.

In addition to the new police recruits graduating, CPD is celebrating new promotions, including the promotion of Crime Control Strategies Deputy Chief Thomas Lemmer and Youth Investigations Division Commander Patricia Casey. Today's ceremony also recognizes the 50 sergeants, 12 lieutenants and four captains being promoted within the police department.

The addition of these ranks will provide police officers increased facetime with supervisors and ensure greater professional standards when enacting new reform measures across Departmental units. Prior to promotion, Sergeants spend six weeks training in the Academy and Lieutenants spend five weeks training.

As the city celebrates the next generation of leaders in the Chicago Police Department, new officers continue to graduate from the Police Academy every year. Today's graduation class will build on the City of Chicago’s two-year hiring plan to add 970 additional officers to the Chicago Police Department, which was completed last year. Since the start of the hiring plan in 2017, CPD has hired more than 2,000 new officers.

Earlier this month, City Council approved the development of a new, state-of-the-art Joint Public Safety Training Academy, which will deepen and strengthen the training capabilities of both new and current police officers, and allow them to train alongside the Chicago Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management Control. 

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