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

WTTW News Explains

WTTW News Explains: How Does Chicago’s Police Consent Decree Work?

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

Police Accountability

A view of Chicago looking west. (AndresGarciaM / iStock)

Teen Takeovers Prompt Discussion About Community Engagement, Police Intervention

| Shelby Hawkins

The prevalence of mass youth gatherings, known as teen takeovers, often increases with the temperature as the trend becomes more popular in summer months. So far this year, at least four major events have taken place in Chicago.

(WTTW News)

June 8, 2026 - Full Show

| WTTW News

Chicago’s U.S. attorney under fire from more than 100 former prosecutors. And efforts to prevent large teen gatherings from turning violent.

(WTTW News)

Chicago Sees Fewest May Homicides in Decades, But Shootings Remain Ahead of Last Year’s Pace

| Matt Masterson

According to the Chicago Police Department, there were 36 homicides throughout last month, two fewer than were recorded during May 2025, a year that ended with a historically low homicide total.

An image captured by a Chicago Police Department officer’s body-worn camera shows Officer Michael Bryant striking an individual during an incident in August 2019. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability)

CPD Officer Who Punched Teen in 2019 Incident Won’t Be Fired: Records

| Heather Cherone

Instead, Officer Michael Bryant should be suspended for 25 days, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling determined, objecting to the recommendation from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability that Bryant be fired.

An image from body camera video released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability shows an area near the scene of the fatal shooting of Adam Toledo on March 29, 2021. (WTTW News via COPA)

Adam Toledo’s Family Sues the City Again Over 13-Year-Old’s Death — This Time in Federal Court

| Heather Cherone

The federal lawsuit was filed on what would have been Adam Toledo’s 19th birthday, attorneys for his parents said.

View all police accountability news

Cost of Misconduct

Chicago Police Department headquarters. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Taxpayers Paid Man Pulled Over by the Same CPD Officers Who Stopped, Shot Dexter Reed $27K: Records

| Heather Cherone

Chicago taxpayers paid $27,500 to a Chicago native who was stopped by the same tactical team of officers who would days later pull over Dexter Reed and fatally shoot him in a barrage of gunfire after he fired at officers, records show.

Arnold Day speaks to the media on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019. (WTTW News)

Pay $13M to Man Who Spent 26 Years in Prison After Being Wrongfully Convicted, City Lawyers Recommend

| Heather Cherone

Arnold Day was convicted and sentenced to 60 years in prison in 1992 based on confessions coerced by Chicago police detectives trained by Jon Burge, a disgraced Chicago police commander, according to court records.

Stacy Vaughn-Harrell, right, celebrates the 2014 graduation of her daughter, Kimberlyn, center. (Provided: Salvi, Schostok and Pritchard, P.C.)

Officers Attempted to Cover Up Pursuit That Killed Mother of 6, Lawyers for Her Family Say

| Heather Cherone

Lawyers for the Harrell family all but dared the Chicago City Council to reject their lawyers’ recommendation to pay $27 million to resolve the lawsuit blaming the Chicago Police Department for the death of Stacy Vaughn-Harrell during a police pursuit.

(WTTW News)

Pay Family of Woman Struck and Killed by Driver Being Chased by Police $27M, City Lawyers Recommend

| Heather Cherone

The City Council’s Finance Committee on Friday is set to consider the proposed settlement, which calls for taxpayers to pay $20 million and the city’s insurance company to pay $7 million. A final vote of the City Council could come March 18.

(WTTW News)

Cost to Defend, Resolve Lawsuits Tied to Disgraced Ex-CPD Detective Tops $159M

| Heather Cherone

Thirteen lawsuits naming former Chicago Police Department Reynaldo Guevara have now been resolved, with 38 lawsuits pending.

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.