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CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The union representing Chicago Police Officers is suggesting officers not show up for work.
While police officers were responding to 100+ shootings over the weekend, some on cancelled days off and working 12-hour shifts or tours, they got a text message suggesting they not show up for work or do the bare minimum - a so called "blue flu" - to make a statement to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the City Council about how much officers are needed.
This weekend was Chicago’s most violent weekend of the year so far, with at least 104 people shot between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday, and 14 of them killed. As police officers were responding to shooting scenes, sources said they were also getting a text encouraging them to call in sick.
The message read, "The FOP Lodge 7 cannot advocate for it, because of the contract." But, it adds, “individual officers can.”
Newly-elected president of the FOP Lodge 7 representing the CPD’s officers, John Catanzara, told CBS 2 the message did not originate from the lodge.
“It was not about a blue flu. I don’t know where that originated from, but it did not originate from the lodge.”
However, Catanzara did not exactly dismiss the text either, citing to recent weeks of cancelled days off and mandatory 12-hour shifts stemming from protests and looting.
“We told people, if they’re cancelling your days off this weekend, I would encourage you to consider not reporting to your cancelled off-day,” Catanzara said.
The text message also said, "Just answer your calls and back each other up. Other than that, zero.”
Catanzara said the FOP will probably have some direction for officers by the end of the week, but said "I would just encourage every officer to be very careful and cautious about what you do."
Mayor Lightfoot called the text message "stupid."
“When something stupid like that happens to basically tell officers to abandon their post, that is the height of dereliction of duty," she said.
This is not just about long shifts and cancelled days off, but also major changes the city wants to make to the contract with the FOP.