More than 200 recruits graduating as Chicago police officers to help curb city violence

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Police Department and Mayor Lori Lightfoot will be celebrating the accomplishments of Chicago officers.

Two hundred and thirty eight recruits will graduate and become sworn police officers at the Wednesday morning ceremony at Navy Pier led by Mayor Lightfoot and CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

The ceremony will also commemorate 111 newly promoted captains, lieutenants, detectives and field training officers (FTOs).

RELATED: 41 people shot in Chicago Labor Day weekend violence

The ceremony comes after a violent Labor Day weekend in Chicago that left seven people killed and another 34 wounded including 15-year-old Davantae Jackson who was scheduled to start high school on Sept. 3.

This new group of officers will continue to help with efforts to curb gun violence in the city, the mayor's office said.

In July, nearly 200 other recruits graduated as sworn in police officers.

With more than 13,000 sworn in officers, the Chicago Police Department currently has the highest staffing level it's had in the past decade, the mayor's office said.

The mayor's office also said the new group is adding to the diversity of the city's police force and includes 65% from minority background, one-third of the graduates are female and approximately 38% percent of the officers graduated from Chicago Public Schools.