Thirteen Chicago police officers were arrested last year on drunken driving charges, and five of them were involved in car crashes, two with injuries, the department says.
The disclosure, in response to questions from the Tribune, comes days after a veteran Chicago police detective was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after two men in their early 20s died in a fiery wreck on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Authorities said his blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit.
Police Supt. Jody Weis, who took office last year after officers had been arrested in two high-profile bar beatings, created a new bureau to evaluate officer conduct and training, pushed for more department-wide messages warning of excessive drinking and approved advanced training for department peer counselors to deal with alcohol abuse issues.
After Friday's crash involving detective Joseph Frugoli, Weis changed departmental policy to require that any officer who suspects another officer of being intoxicated to notify the on-duty watch commander, who must then go to the scene. Internal affairs will also be immediately notified.
"It is our hope that tragic incidents such as the one that occurred on April 10 will be eliminated through continued training, education, treatment, accountability and discipline for those members who violate the well-established rule against becoming intoxicated and getting behind the wheel," Weis said in an e-mail in response to questions.
Frugoli had been involved in two previous crashes in the last four years, but he was never administered a sobriety test after officers on the scene determined he did not appear to be intoxicated.
A department source said this week that top brass may also push for random alcohol testing of officers. That would require changes in the contract with the Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing the rank and file.
Last summer the city proposed in contract negotiations that officers be checked for alcohol abuse if their weapon had discharged. Police are already subject to random drug testing.
So far this year, three officers have been arrested for driving under the influence, police said.
This week, Weis said 15 officers were arrested for DUI in 2008 but later corrected that number to 13. Police declined to release the officers' names.
Consequences for the officers varied, but none arrested last year have yet lost their jobs. In eight of those cases, officers were suspended without pay from 20 to 45 days, police said. In the five cases that remain open, the officers were assigned to desk duties or placed on leave.
Four of the officers were arrested by Chicago police, three in the suburbs and six out of state, police said.
After their arrests, the officers were encouraged to seek help and counseling through the confidential employee assistance program. Police commanders have also been told to encourage officers at roll calls to seek help for substance-abuse problems, and the department is working on developing new "streaming video" to show at roll calls to educate officers about available help.
Weis earlier this week pointed out the small number of officers who have been accused of driving drunk compared to the department's 13,000 officers. Statistically speaking, about one in 1,000 Chicago officers were arrested for DUI last year. That pales by comparison to a national average of one drunk-driving arrest for every 155 drivers, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics.
Still, Weis acknowledged that officers have responsibilities that require them to be held to a higher standard than ordinary citizens.
"The residents of Chicago rightfully expect the police to protect them from drunk drivers, not to become part of the problem," Weis said in the e-mail. "While they are held to a higher standard, police officers are human beings, too, susceptible to the pressures of life and the job, and are not always perfect. When this occurs, it is our responsibility to take appropriate measures to address the problem."
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