With more protests scheduled and Chicago police looking to protect businesses and residents in different areas of the city, all days off have been canceled and officers will be working extra shifts, according to Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown.
According to an email circulated to officers by the department, all personnel will revert to a 12-hour shift schedule until further notice, and all time off requests for the coming days have been canceled as well, according to Brown.
“We need everyone to be on board as we rebound from what unfolded last night,” he said.
During protests and the looting and vandalism that followed on Saturday, more than 20 Chicago police officers were injured, including two that had to be hospitalized, according to the department. Officers arrested at least 240 people after arresting more than 100 on Friday night, stretching their ranks thin as looting was reported in multiple areas of River North, the Loop, and the Magnificent Mile.
Brown says that he respects the officers’ resolve in the face of the protests, and that he believes his officers maintained their composure well during a trying time.
“I want to commend our officers for maintaining their composure throughout this whole ordeal,” he said. “We should be proud, proud of our police officers who stood shoulder-to-shoulder and showed great restraint amid these conditions.”
