At a recent City Council meeting, I introduced a resolution with 19 of my colleagues as co-sponsors that calls for hearings with the Police Superintendent and City Budget Director to determine how the vacancies within the Chicago Police Department must be filled. Currently, there are more than 700 openings for officers in the department and we need many more police on the street. Academy graduations have been slowed and, as a result of the recent completion of the contract arbitrations, more officers will be retiring; more than 100 are already pending. These facts not only mean that our communities are in greater danger but our sworn officers are as well. The openings place an undue burden on the men and women that serve our police department, forcing them to work more hours and spread themselves thinner. We have asked the administration what its plan is to fix this situation so that we may ensure the safety of our neighborhoods.