Policing

Since 2019, the Chicago Police Department has operated under a consent decree.
This federal court order requires CPD to stop routinely violating Black and Latino residents’ constitutional rights.
It also forces the overhaul of how officers are trained, supervised and disciplined.
WTTW News dives deep into why reform is so slow and how policing in Chicago continues to evolve.

Chicago Spent $119.7M on Police Overtime in 6 Months, 20% More Than Its Annual Overtime Budget: Watchdog
Politics

Chicago Spent $119.7M on Police Overtime in 6 Months, 20% More Than Its Annual Overtime Budget: Watchdog

Robin Robinson (Facebook)
Investigations

Repeated Police Misconduct by 272 Officers Has Cost Chicago Taxpayers $295M Since 2019: Analysis

Investigations

The Number of Times CPD Officers Pointed Their Guns at People Increased 44% from 2022 to 2024: Data

WTTW News coverage of policing and police reform is supported by The Joyce Foundation.

Police Accountability

Chicago police officers respond to Ariel Roman, who is seated on the ground moments after he was shot inside the Grand Red Line station on Feb. 28, 2020. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability)

Jury Rejects Lawsuit Filed by Man Police Shot in CTA Red Line Station

| Heather Cherone

A federal jury determined Chicago police officers did not violate the civil rights of the Chicago man they shot during a February 2020 incident in the Grand Red Line CTA station, records show.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

CPD Failed to Document Suspensions, Reprimands: Watchdog

| Heather Cherone

CPD’s inaccurate and incomplete disciplinary histories makes it impossible to trust that police officers are being held responsible for misconduct, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.

(WTTW News)

Police Brass Agrees to Suspend Officers for Violating Rights of Black Driver During Downtown Traffic Stop

| Heather Cherone

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined that three tactical team officers assigned to patrol the Near North (18th) Police District improperly searched Limorris Bell and his car on Sept. 1, 2024.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Wrongful Convictions Cost Chicago Taxpayers $204.6M in 2025: Analysis

| Heather Cherone

In the latest case to be settled, the Chicago City Council agreed Wednesday to pay $15.4 million to Robert Smith Jr., who spent 33 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of the 1987 double murder of his wife’s mother and grandmother.

Officer Krystal Rivera. (Courtesy of Chicago Police Department)

Family of Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera Suing Department, Partner Who Fatally Shot Her

| Matt Masterson

The family of Chicago police Officer Krystal Rivera, who was fatally shot in the line of duty this year by a fellow officer, says the shooting came after she broke off a romantic relationship with her partner.

View all police accountability news

Cost of Misconduct

(WTTW News)

Pay $15.4M to Man Who Spent 33 Years in Prison for Double Murder He Didn’t Commit: City Lawyers

| Heather Cherone

If approved, it would bring the total amount spent by taxpayers in 2025 to compensate those wrongfully convicted based on evidence developed by Chicago police officers to $204.6 million, according to a WTTW News analysis.

(WTTW News)

City Lawyers Recommend Paying $640K to 2 Families Who Say They Were Held at Gunpoint During Botched No-Knock Raids

| Heather Cherone

Botched raids by the Chicago Police Department have cost taxpayers more than $5.5 million since 2020, according to a WTTW News analysis.

Chicago police officers surround an SUV driven by Dexter Reed moments before shots are fired on March 21, 2024. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability)

Family of Dexter Reed Asks Judge to Reopen Lawsuit City Council Failed to Settle

| Heather Cherone

The city and its lawyers will now have to convince a jury that four officers did nothing wrong when they fired 96 shots at Dexter Reed, hitting him 13 times, and fatally injuring him, records show

Chicago police officers respond to Ariel Roman, who is seated on the ground moments after he was shot inside the Grand Red Line station on Feb. 28, 2020. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability)

Lawsuit Filed by Man Police Shot in CTA Red Line Station Set for Trial

| Heather Cherone

The trial, set to start Dec. 8 and last 10 days, represents a high-stakes gamble for the city, whose lawyers typically recommend settling civil cases involving actions by the police that led to criminal charges and are ruled to have violated department policy.

(WTTW News)

Johnson’s 2026 Budget Sets Aside Just $82.5M to Resolve Police Misconduct Lawsuits, Even Though Chicago Has Already Spent $90M

| Heather Cherone

Chicago taxpayers have spent at least $267 million to resolve lawsuits alleging Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct so far this year, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.

As crime and public safety are top of mind across Chicago’s communities, there are people who are working to prevent conflict before it happens and stop it from escalating when it does. WTTW explores violence interruption and prevention in Chicago in Firsthand: Peacekeepers, a series of documentaries, expert talks, investigative journalism, and community engagement focusing on extraordinary people who are making a difference.

WTTW News Coverage

Chicago police Superintendent David Brown addresses the city’s violent holiday weekend July 6, 2021. (WTTW News)

Immigration

Stay updated on the latest news surrounding federal immigration operations in the Chicago area.

Robin Robinson (Facebook)

WTTW News Explains

In this Emmy Award-winning series, WTTW News tackles your questions — big and small — about life in the Chicago area. Our video animations guide you through local government, city history, public utilities and everything in between.

Chicago’s Archaeopteryx

A piece of evolutionary history has made its way to Chicago. This rare and scientifically significant find sheds new light on the origins of flight and the incredible journey of evolution.