Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress can reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline by texting or calling 9-8-8.
The Chicago Police Department says it will work to give officers more time off, a move that families and activists say is long overdue for a work force that is being increasingly asked to work for longer stretches of time without a break.
On Monday, the city’s watchdog issued a report that showed the police department scheduled nearly 12,000 officers to work at least 11 straight days this year alone, and on Tuesday, Supt. David Brown said that changes will be made.
“While our officers work to safeguard this city, we must also put safeguards in place to protect our officers,” he said in a statement. “The health and well-being of our officers is a top priority, and we have taken steps to ensure that they have time to rest and re-energize.”
Most officers will not be able to have more than one off-day canceled per week under the new plan. Officers will also be guaranteed two consecutive days off in each of the department’s 13 “police periods,” according to the terms of the plan.
Julie Troglia lost her husband Jeff to suicide in 2021. He was one of three officers who took their own lives within a month-long span, and she has since stepped up to fight back against the scheduling that has led to officers experiencing physical and mental exhaustion.
“It’s something that I have been fighting for the last 18 months,” she said. “This is the first action that the city, mayor and super have taken. It’s not just talk anymore.”
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Ald. Matt O’Shea, who represents the city’s 19th Ward, proposed a package of financial incentives to recruit new officers earlier this year. He praised the department’s decision.
“Today’s announcement was an important first step to providing officers badly needed time off,” he said in a statement. “It is also critical that we address the staffing shortage that has caused so many days off to be cancelled.”
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Troglia echoed O’Shea’s sentiments, saying that more must be done to protect the emotional and physical well-being of officers.
“They’re letting them have control of their life. They know they need that break to go home and be with their families,” she said. “I’m hoping this will change the tide of what real heroic men and women we have working in this city.”
Sworn officers will also get a minimum of nine hours off between shifts. There are some limits to the new plan, with members of specialized units and those on fourth and fifth watches not eligible for the time-off protections under the plan.
