Days off canceled for Chicago police this Memorial Day weekend
CHICAGO - Days off will be canceled for Chicago police officers for a week surrounding Memorial Day in an effort to curb crime, officials said Tuesday.
From May 24 through May 31, police officers will not be allowed time off and could be placed on 12-hour shifts, according to CPD News Affairs.
Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church criticized the department's decision, saying it places an unfair burden on police.
"This morning we hear Police will have all their Days off canceled and will possibly work 12 Hour days.. You can't take folks in an already stressful job and work them to death and expect good policing," Pfleger wrote on Facebook.
The week will also mark the second anniversary of the death of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.
In 2020, demonstrators shut down streets in the Loop and marched for hours amid some tense moments with police
Chicago police used the same tactic in 2021, flooding the streets with officers after a violent weekend downtown.
"As we approach Memorial Day, I think from a historical perspective, better to prepare for the worst than not be prepared," CPD Supt. David Brown said at the time.
On the holiday weekend last year, Chicago saw three people killed and 34 others wounded in shootings across the city, marking the least violent Memorial Day weekend in three years.