City Cuts Hit Two Key Areas: Police and Streets Departments
Sun-Times Reporting
CHICAGO -- Nearly half of the 1,080 city of Chicago employees being targeted for layoffs would come from two key departments, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned -- the police and the Department of Streets and Sanitation.
A labor leader said that's likely to translate to fewer cops on the streets, as the jobs of police civilians are cut.
Even as homicides and other violent crimes are on the rise, Mayor Daley's decision to lay off 133 police civilians for budgetary reasons is likely to strain a Chicago Police Department that's expected to be hard hit by the elimination of 329 sworn vacancies and 424 civilian openings.
The 1,080 layoffs are projected by the Daley administration to save $98 million. They represent the biggest purge in Daley's nearly 20-year tenure as mayor.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that Daley would eliminate 3,000 vacant positions and lay off more than 1,000 city employees to deal with the city's worst budget crisis in a generation.
The numbers of city of Chicago jobs being targeted under Mayor Daley's planned layoffs, by department:
• Streets and Sanitation (376)
• Chicago Police Department civilian workers (133)
• General Services (75)
• Water Management (69)
• Aviation (67)
• Transportation (28)
• Health (10)
• Chicago Public Library (5)
Copyright 2008 STNG Wire, The Chicago Sun-Times. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
President Obama, in his weekly radio address, tells Congress to act quickly and pass financial reform to prevent economy from sliding into another Depression.
WBBM-AM 780 has been the consistent all news radio voice in Chicagoland for over 35 years and is now streaming online for free. Listen online to Chicago news as it happens around the clock, along with Chicago traffic, Chicago weather, Chicago sports and Chicago business. Subscribe to WBBM's free podcasts for additional Chicago business and Chicago community reports and listen to Chicago news on demand. WBBM news radio is also the home for Chicago Bears, Chicago Auto Show and Chicago Air & Water Show. www.wbbm780.com
E-Mail Story
Print Story
