Amid increasing staff shortages at the Oak Park Police Department, officers on the community policing unit are being temporarily reassigned to the patrol division.
During a May 7 presentation to the village board, Police Chief Shatonya Johnson told trustees the department was down 35 officers, an increase from early February. Staffing levels on patrol, specifically, have continued to decrease, prompting this change.
On the community policing unit, a specific officer is assigned to a designated area, known as a beat, to respond to “quality of life issues,” Johnson said.
“[These officers are] the liaison between the police and the community,” she said. “They have a more intimate relationship with the residents within their beat, or designated area.”
Patrol officers, on the other hand, respond to all calls for service throughout the village, Johnson said.
Most officers on the community policing unit stay on their beat for a long time, Johnson said. But recently, officers have been working overtime to make up for the reduced staff.
The community policing unit had foot patrol officers in the downtown Oak Park area and in the business district, as well as eight residential beat or neighborhood resource officers who patrolled in cars. Johnson said she does not think the community policing unit will suffer as a result of this change, but it will be different.
“The only time we make adjustments to beat assignments in community policing [is] if someone is reassigned out of that unit,” Johnson said. “They’re reassigned out of the unit because they got promoted or they went to a different assignment.”
Instead of those officers patrolling specific beats, the community policing unit will now have a general number for residents or visitors to call for issues beat officers would have handled. Someone will respond to these calls, but there won’t be a specific person designated to respond, Johnson said.
As a result of this reassignment, Johnson said she thinks the department will see a reduction in overtime hours that officers have been serving.
“It’s not to save money but it’s about officer fatigue and officer wellness,” she said.
While safety levels in Oak Park will be maintained, Johnson said, some community engagement activities will have to be reduced. For example, the annual week-long youth basketball camp sponsored by the OPPD will not be happening this year.
At the May 7 village board meeting, Johnson said she’s hoping to have around 95 officers by the end of 2024. The OPPD is budgeted for 118 officers. If the department can reach that goal, those temporarily reassigned to the patrol division may be able to move back to their beats on the community policing unit.
The OPPD is anticipating hiring more officers within the next four months, Johnson said, after background investigations can be complete. She said she’s hoping for at least 12 new officers.
“Safety hasn’t been compromised due to our staff shortage,” she said. “We’re still keeping the community safe.”
