CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Police officers in south suburban Robbins have called off work in an effort to protest their pay and working conditions.
Of the 14 officers in the department, about 10 to 12 have been calling in. They’re avoiding the term strike since they are not legally allowed to.
Commander Hurman Mathus told CBS2 some of the newer hires are making the same or less than people working at McDonald’s.
“We want the village to understand that we stand in solidarity with each other, that we’re not going to continue to keep giving our all and the village is ignoring us and giving us nothing,” Mathus said.
Mayor Darren Bryant said he’s working on the problem but the issues are not new.
“I’ve been mayor for five months now. Most of our challenges just are inherited. Their contract has actually been expired since 2020,” Bryant said.
Robbins is getting help from the Cook County Sheriff’s office, which has its deputies taking all calls in the suburb since there’s an “extreme shortage of officers.”
The village is slated to swear in a new police chief on Tuesday.
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