Burke is the only Chicago alderman who has Chicago police officers assigned to him as bodyguards. In 1986, Mayor Washington's acting Chicago police commissioner Fred Rice tried to reduce the number of Burke's bodyguards from four to two, on the basis that the manpower was no longer necessary. Burke sued the city, arguing that the move was a political retaliation. The court sided with Burke. Rice removed nearly all the aldermanic bodyguards, but was blocked by court orders from taking away the Vrdolyak and Burke contingents. For nine months in 2005, the police details assigned to the city clerk, city treasurer and Burke did not file any police reports. Andy Shaw, president and chief executive of the watchdog group Better Government Association, asked,