DOWNTOWN — As the city enters one of the most notoriously violent weekends of the year, the Chicago Police Department is staffing up.
The city made national news in 2012 when ten people were killed and at least 43 people were wounded over Memorial Day weekend and last year was even worse with 12 people killed and at least 41 wounded over three days.
In a memo to officers, Bureau of Patrol Chief Fred Waller announced the "Memorial Day Overtime Initiative," seeking volunteers to work May 27, 29, 29 and 30.
The department is asking its rank and file to work on an off day that comes during at a time when officers were asked to use their "personal time" to take the detective’s promotional exam earlier this month.
The test was taken during a violent weekend in which two people and another 28 were wounded in citywide shootings.
As of Tuesday, shootings in Chicago are up nearly 54 percent over the same period last year.
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