CITY OF CHICAGO OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 740 NORTH SEDGWICK STREET, SUITE 200 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60654 / TELEPHONE: (773)478-7799 FAX: (773) 478-3949
VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
Annette Nance-Holt
Commissioner
Chicago Fire Department
3510 S. Michigan Ave., 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60653
Annastasia Walker Executive Director
Office of Public Safety Administration 3510 S. Michigan Ave., 3rd Floor Chicago, IL 60653
Dear Commissioner Nance-Holt and Executive Director Walker:
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) writes to inform you about a recent investigation that revealed a troubling pattern of a disproportionate number of Chicago Fire Department (CFD) retirees reporting their active member CFD badges missing or stolen within three to six months of their retirement.
BACKGROUND
In November 2018, OIG received information that in the previous three years, CFD members had reported badges lost more than 300 times.1 In what was characterized as "an institutionalized accepted practice," which "frequently occurred when a firefighter [was] reaching retirement." OIG was further provided with records of CFD badges reported lost from January 1, 2015, through November 15, 2018.
CFD badges are CFD property. See CFD General Order 92-006 (GO 92-006) (effective March 23, 1992 - November 28, 2018) and CFD General Order 18-012 (GO 18-012) (effective November 29,
1 MCC 2-36-510 - Uniforms and Badges, (a) The fire commissioner shall adopt rules setting forth the circumstancesunder which the members of the bureau of operations shall be required, while on active duty, to wear appropriate uniforms, badges and other insignia by which their authority or status may be known, (b) The issuance of any and all honorary badges shall be at the sole discretion ofthe fire commissioner. MCC 2-36-700 -Badges. When in dress uniform, each member ofthe uniformed service shall wear a suitable badge furnished by the city denoting such member's rank. Any member who loses or destroys such b...
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