Until at least Aug. 14, Cook County Sheriff's deputies will be taking over the midnight shift for the police department in financially-strapped south suburban Dixmoor.
"This is another example of the disparity of police protection throughout Cook County," Cara Smith, a sheriff's department spokeswoman, said of Monday's agreement between sheriff's officials and Dixmoor Police Chief Robert Fox.
She characterized Dixmoor's police staff of five full-time and four part time officers as "a skeleton crew" at best.
Monday's agreement came after two Dixmoor police officers walked off the job a day earlier in protest of their working conditions and will last until the village board authorizes new hires. The next board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 14, though officials could call an emergency meeting.
Cook County Sheriff's officers, which normally patrol just the unincorporated areas of the county, are already offering police protection in Dolton and Ford Heights.
In recent months, Sheriff Tom Dart also has agreed to serve as inspector general of Dolton and west suburban Maywood to root out corruption in those towns, the Chicago Sun-Times reminded.
