“JUMP OUT BOYS”

WHO WERE THE “JUMP OUT BOYS”

The Enhanced Foot Patrol Unit was a unit within the Chicago Police Department known alternately as the “Jump Out Boys” and was assigned to the Special Operations Section of the Bureau of Operational Services. Under a later reorganization of the Department, under Superintendent Jody Weis, the unit was reassigned to the Special Functions Division of the Bureau of Patrol. Designated Unit 353, members utilized radio call signs in the 4950 thru 4998 series and operated on Citywide 1. The unit became active on June 12, 2003, was short lived, and is no longer active. It is unknown when the unit officially ceased its operations.

UNIT OPERATIONS

The Enhanced Foot Patrol Unit was created to increase police visibility in high crime areas. It was conmprised of 110 Probationary Police Officers (PPO) and 13 Field Training Officers (FTO) in June of 2003. Members of the unit would patrol high crime areas in a van, each staffed with one Field Training Officer and a group of Probationary Police Officers. The unit earned the nickname, “The Jump Out Boys” after being observed by citizens jumping from a police van and giving chase to wanted offenders.

PPO’s were generally assigned to the unit once they completed their three month field training program in district law enforcement. They remained assigned to the unit until their probationary period ended, and then were assigned to one of the police departments 25 police districts. The probationary period lasted 18 months which included their 24 to 25 week training at the police academy.

Since its inception, on June 12, 2003, the Unit has amassed some impressive statistics. From June 12, 2003 thru December 31, 2003, the Enhanced Foot Patrol Unit had the following activity:

• Administrative Notice of Ordinance Violations: 768
• Arrests: 654
• Contact Cards: 7,919
• Curfews: 38
• Recovered Vehicles: 66
• Vehicle lmpoundments: 84
• Weapons Recovered: 23

THE REBIRTH OF THE ENHANCED FOOT PATROL UNIT?

On February 1, 2013 Superintendent McCarthy began assigning PPO’s to fixed foot posts called “Impact Zones” in high-crime areas under a new initiative called Operation Impact. The first area to receive these foot patrols was the 6th District. By September 2013 there were 20 identified Impact Zones throughout the city. PPO’s were assigned a specific area called a “box” to patrol for the duration of their tour of duty. In addition, approximately 400 non-probationary officers were assigned per day, based on seniority, to work overtime in the Impact Zones. The non-probationary officers did not walk a foot post, but were assigned vehicles to patrol in.

There was no set rules on the assignment of PPO’s to Operation Impact. Some were assigned right out of the academy and others after completing their three month field training cycles with a FTO in district law enforcement. This policy was the result of a shortage of FTO’s coupled with increased hiring during 2012 and 2013. On March 2, 2013 the Department administered a promotional exam for Field Training Officer. 118 candidates passed and were selected for promotion. Of the 118 offered the promotion only 55 reported for pre-service training on April 15, 2013. Once their training was completed the Department had just under 120 active FTO’s citywide. In May of 2013 the Department began assigning two probationary police officers per FTO. New Ford Explorers were delivered to the Department’s training districts without cage barriers installed to accomadate the new three man cars.

In June of 2013 the Department issued a Bureau of Patrol order #13-0144 and announced that it would no longer pay regular police officers out-of-grade pay for training PPO’s as an Acting FTO. As a result of this order PPO’s were no longer assigned to work with any other officer but their FTO, and if their FTO took a day off or was in in-service training, they were usually assigned to work the district desk or ride with a sergeant. An excert of the Department’s order read as follows:

“No acting Field Training Officer position will be allowed. Out of grade reports will not be approved by any Supervisor in the District for non-field training personnel. Administrative overtime will not be approved by any supervisor in the district as the non-probationary personnel will not be performing field training duties.”

“Failure to comply with the direction of this directive will be considered failure to comply to a direct order and may be addressed by disciplinary procedures.”

Reference Sources

• Chicago Police Department (June 2013). “B.O.P. #13-0144.” Retrieved from Clear.ChicagoPolice.org. Accessed February 3, 2014.
• Chicago Police Star Magazine (March 2004). “Enhanced Foot Patrol Unit.” Retrieved from ChicagoCop.com. Accessed February 3, 2014.