Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul appears on “Chicago Tonight” on June 6, 2023. (WTTW News)
In a letter obtained by WTTW News, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul urged Mayor Brandon Johnson to drop his plan to slash the number of employees charged with implementing a federal court order requiring the Chicago Police Department to stop routinely violating residents’ constitutional rights.
If Johnson does not reverse course, Raoul said he would ask U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer to sanction the city for failing to live up to the binding agreement that took effect more than five and a half years ago, according to the letter provided to WTTW News by Raoul’s office after a Freedom of Information Act request.
Raoul said his letter was prompted by “grave concern” that the “unwise budget cuts” proposed by Johnson would “undermine the progress” CPD has made toward implementing the consent decree.
The court order, known as the consent decree, requires CPD to change the way it trains, supervises and disciplines officers. CPD has fully met just 7% of the agreement, according to the most recent report by the team monitoring the city’s compliance with the consent decree released in June.
“I must remind you that the consent decree is not optional,” Raoul wrote to Johnson. “The City of Chicago must deliver on its consent decree obligations.”
Johnson’s proposed spending plan for 2025 would cut the number of employees charged with implementing the consent decree by 13%, according to the budget overview released by city officials.
The proposed budget set aside $194.6 million for the reform effort in 2025, documents show. While that represents a 3.2% increase from 2024, most CPD members are due raises of 5% under the city’s contract with the Fraternal Order of Police.
Johnson told WTTW News after unveiling his budget proposal he was “confident” that the cuts he proposed to reform efforts and consent decree implementation would not hinder the court-ordered reforms.
A spokesperson for Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson Lowry said she had spoken to Raoul about his concerns.
“They are engaged in ongoing discussions regarding his concerns with an intent towards finding a resolution,” spokesperson Kristen Cabanban said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Cutting much-needed resources from the units within CPD responsible for developing and implementing the policies, training and oversight required by the consent decree is directly contrary to that obligation,” Raoul wrote. “Adopting the currently proposed cuts would place the city at significant risk of being held in contempt of court for failing to comply with the consent decree.”
If Johnson refuses to reverse course, and the Chicago City Council ratifies the cuts, Raoul could ask Pallmeyer to levy a fine against the city, order it to restore the 79 now-vacant positions set to be eliminated or take direct control of CPD’s operations under the terms of the consent decree.
Chicago officials are facing a Dec. 31 deadline to close a nearly $982 million budget gap.
“I understand that the city’s budget constraints require difficult choices to be made,” Raoul wrote. “But a binding, court-enforced consent decree takes certain choices off the table.”
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
