CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago’s police superintendent says most of the 16,500 applications submitted to become officers during a recent recruitment campaign were from minorities.
The Chicago Sun-Times (https://bit.ly/2kDbUSp) reports Eddie Johnson as saying he’s “ecstatic” that 35 percent of applicants are black and 33 percent Hispanic; 29 percent are white.
Hiring more minorities was among the city’s goals as it tried to mend relationships with different communities in the wake of high-profile shootings by officers. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has said boosting officer numbers also will help address spikes in gun violence.
Johnson says the numbers of applicants shows there are many people who want to be part of change in the department.
The two-month recruitment drive began in November. The Sun-Times reports that 970 of the applicants will eventually be hired.
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Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, https://chicago.suntimes.com/
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