Chicago police applicants taking entry exam Saturday

CHICAGO (WLS) -- As the Chicago Police Department works to build a more diverse force, thousands are answering the call.

They are taking the police entry exam as part of the department's plan to add more officers, improve training and community interaction.

Just this year, CPD has added 1,100 officers and Saturday morning, more than 14,000 have been invited to take the entrance exam. The city said that 76 percent of the applicants identify as minorities and 35 percent as female.

Changes come amid controversial officer-involved shootings, outcries from the public, and past high crime numbers.

Officers are now better trained to handle communications with the public, and even have passed courses in cultural sensitivity training. All CPD officers on patrol have working body cameras, which comes a full year ahead of schedule.

"With over 100 less murders and with 700 less shootings than last year, as a result, communities that were once under a cloud of gun violence are beginning to see signs of optimism and hope," said Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

But the city continues to take the brunt of negative comments in the national spotlight...

Once again, President Donald Trump targeted the Chicago.

"And you look at what's going on, Chicago, what the hell is going on in Chicago? What the hell is happening there? For the second year in a row, a person was shot in Chicago every three hours," President Trump said.

Superintendent Johnson says a lot of positive changes have been made and more is to come.