At least a dozen police officers have called out of work in south suburban Robbins, prompting the village to request assistance from outside law enforcement agencies, the mayor said.
As a result of the recent call outs, the village contacted the Cook County Sheriff's Department and other agencies to respond to emergency calls within the village, Mayor Darren E. Bryant said in a letter to residents.
In a statement, the Cook County Sheriff's Department said it was handling all calls at the request of Robbins police "due to an extreme shortage of officers."
"The Sheriff's Office will continue to work with Robbins officials to provide public safety for the village's residents," department officials said.
Addressing the situation, Bryant said both he and the Council Board are committed to positive change in addressing issues, which include pay and working conditions.
"...We will ensure that we recruit public safety professionals in the spirit of excellence," he said. Furthermore, amid national concerns around police reform, we will make strategic decisions to recruit highly skilled public safety professionals. We must move forward with patience and a sense of urgency to ensure that we create lasting solutions to our community's unique problems."
NBC 5 reached out to Robbins police for comment, but had yet to receive a response as of Sunday night.
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