(LifeSiteNews) — Indiana police departments and political leaders are courting officers from across the border who might be fed up with Chicago’s vaccine mandates.
The Windy City has required all government workers to get jabbed by October 18, but some police and other employees have resisted the mandate. A federal judge is expected to rule Friday on a lawsuit against the requirement. Some aldermen in the Democratic city have also called for a special session to undo Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s order.
Munster, Indiana, located just a 30-minute drive from the city’s southwest side where many police and first responders live, announced an “Emergency Hiring Process” for “lateral transfer” officers. This means that someone who is already working as a law enforcement officer could be quickly hired by the Hoosier State town.
“Here in northwest Indiana, in Munster, we have one of the top rated school systems in the state,” Munster Police Chief Steve Scheckel told Fox News.
“[Officers] can send their kids to public school. It’s a low-crime community. Even though we’re 30 minutes from Chicago, we’re rated one of the 10 safest cities in the state of Indiana,” Scheckel said. “So, it’s really just a step across the state line to a better life for the officer.”
LifeSiteNews emailed Chief Scheckel on October 22 to ask about what responses he has received so far and how many officers he is hoping to add, but has not received a response.
“In the past couple days, we have had several. My administrative assistant is very busy fielding phone calls from Chicago,” Scheckel told an Indiana news station on October 22. “My discussions with other chiefs in northwest Indiana, we are all of kind of the same mindset.”
“We welcome Chicago police officers. They are already trained. They have plenty of experience we would welcome to our ranks anywhere in northwest Indiana,” Scheckel said.
The recruitment effort has the backing of U.S. Sen. Todd Braun, a Republican. He told Fox News that other cities near Illinois, including Merrillville and Schererville, do not have vaccine mandates in place. Nor does the Lake County Sheriff Department. Lake County borders Illinois.
“My office stands ready to help connect Chicago police officers to an Indiana police department that is hiring now and doesn’t have a vaccine mandate,” Braun said. “Welcome to Indiana!”
My office stands ready to help connect Chicago police officers to an Indiana police department that is hiring now and doesn’t have a vaccine mandate.
Welcome to Indiana! https://t.co/rtsQ1GIsF1
— Senator Mike Braun (@SenatorBraun) October 19, 2021
The recruitment initiative could be aided by a new Indiana law that does away with residency requirements for cops and firefighters. Chicago police officers would not have to try to quickly sell their home to move to Indiana.
Mayor Lightfoot has faced criticism from her police department over other policies that law enforcement professionals say hamper their ability to do their job.
A new policy announced in May limits when police can pursue a suspect on foot.
“Under the new policy, foot pursuits will be considered appropriate only when an officer has probable cause for an arrest or believes a suspect is committing or is about to commit a crime,” Fox News reported.