The Odd Couple Starring Police, Fire Departments

By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 6, 2011 1:00PM

Sometimes it pays to read Michael Sneed. The Sun-Times resident political gossip columnist reports today that the Chicago Fire Department will be abandoning its lease of two floors at the Illinois Institute of Technology and moving into Chicago Police Department headquarters at 35th and Michigan.

The move is seen mainly as a cost-cutting measure, according to Sneed's source, and had been talked about during the final days of the Daley Administration. With Mayor Rahm Emanuel in office, the talks became serious and, with Emanuel and Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy set to deploy more cops to beat assignments, there's probably room for the Fire Department to move in with their fire poles and good cooking skills.

Hopefully the police dogs and dalmatians will co-exist and the Police Department will leave a note when the building needs milk or eggs, and try to lift the seat when they pee.

The move raises more questions for us: Can IIT take the city to court for breaking the lease? Can the city sublet the space they're abandoning? Will they take out an ad in the Reader to do so?