Thousands Show Up for Chicago Police Exam

By Soyoung Kwak in News on Dec 12, 2010 4:00PM

Despite the cruel weather we've been having recently, a record number of people showed up to take the Chicago Police Department's entrance exam at McCormick Place yesterday. Around 9,600 people were able to take the exam during two different sessions. The number of people who showed up for the exam yesterday was more than twice the number of test takers in 2006, when about 4,061 people took the entrance exam.

There doesn't seem to be a clear-cut reason why so many people braved the cold to go through hours of grueling testing -- some point to the economy, but some point to the sheer honor of being a Chicago Police officer:

Many applicants shared similar reasons for wanting to join those who already have the honor of wearing a Chicago police badge. "You can provide safety for the people around you; your neighborhood, all your close family and friends,"; [Karen] Schmitz said.

"I've wanted to do law enforcement since I was about 19. I went through the Marine Corps and did that for four years. And since I've been out I've been looking forward to getting into it and trying my best,"; [Brandon] Artim said.

Whatever the applicants' rhyme or reason, this is pretty good news for the CPD considering some of the recent events that have occurred. Despite these tragic events, Superintendent Jody Weis was on hand to explain that tragedies have occurred, but that having as many police officers on the streets is pretty essential to a safer year next year.

The results of the exam will be released in 6 to 8 weeks, and applicants who pass the exam as well as background checks and police training would be patrolling the streets of Chicago in about a year. Good luck to everyone who applied, but becoming a Chicago Police Officer could be more difficult than getting into college.