Stories by Heather Cherone

In all, Chicago taxpayers spent $285.8 million on overtime for members of the Chicago Police Department during 2025, 5.6% less than the previous year, according to the data.

Mayor Brandon Johnson called David Glockner “a seasoned public servant with the experience, independence, and integrity needed to serve as the city’s watchdog and strengthen accountability across our operations.”

Officials have now determined that officers assigned to tactical team in the Harrison (11th) Police District on the West Side, one of the most violent in the city, violated dozens of department rules during three traffic stops.

Between 2023, when Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling took office, and 2025, the number of times police officers used force against a member of the public increased approximately 35.8%, according to CPD data.

The agency that provides more than 65,000 low-income households with public housing, rental vouchers and homeownership programs remains mired in uncertainty and at odds with Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Officer Michael Donnelly’s actions “brought significant negative attention and discredit upon the department” and “exposed CPD to civil liability,” COPA concluded.

“This step allows us to continue pursuing the case in a manner that fully protects the rights of Adam Toledo’s family,” said Adeena Weiss Ortiz, the lead lawyer for Elizabeth and Marco Toledo, the teen’s parents. “Let me be clear: This case is not over.”

Chicago has earned “every bit” of its reputation as the most corrupt of corrupt American cities, with much more work to be done, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.

Chicago restaurants must phase out the tipped minimum wage by July 1, 2028, while giving servers and other workers who earn gratuities 8% raises annually every July 1.

The city’s 2026 budget set aside just $82.5 million for police misconduct settlements, and authorized officials to borrow an additional $283.3 million to cover the soaring cost of lawsuits alleging wrongdoing by police officers, records show.

Inspector General Deborah Witzburg did not conclude in the report released Wednesday that the CPD members deliberately covered up the fatal crash. Instead, Witzburg found that their actions prevented her office from “conducting a full and complete investigation."

The monitors praised CPD for making “significant progress” between July 1 and Dec. 31 in effort to comply with the consent decree, which has been in effect for seven years.

The vote came after officials with Bally’s Corp. issued the most direct warning to the City Council that its move to green-light video gaming would kneecap the city’s permanent casino, scheduled to open in River West later this year.

The City Council’s Workforce Development Committee advanced the measure after a lengthy debate over whether all city employees, not just CPD members, should be banned from “actively participating” in extremist and anti-government groups.

CPD’s 2026 budget is $2.1 billion, including $200 million for overtime, records show.

The proposal, authored by Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward), would give the Civilian Office of Police Accountability the authority to probe officers accused of “actively participating” in extremist and anti-government groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

“The robustness and integrity of CPD’s disciplinary system is absolutely vital,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said. “If we are to take seriously the task of fostering trust in CPD, the city must build and run a police disciplinary system in which both members of the public and members of the department have reason to be confident.”

Since the start of the year, Chicago taxpayers have paid nearly $30 million to resolve four wrongful conviction lawsuits.

Mayor Brandon Johnson nominated Anjanette Young, a social worker who was handcuffed while naked during a botched 2019 Chicago Police Department raid, on Thursday to serve on the city’s police oversight board.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new top public safety adviser will be Emmanuel Andre, the deputy of policy for the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, the mayor’s spokesperson announced.

The trial got off to a slow start just days after the fifth anniversary of Adam’s death, which spurred outrage-fueled demonstrations and renewed calls for police reform.

The proposed law would ban no-knock warrants in all but “exigent circumstances” where the safety of officers or others was threatened, according to the bill.

Officer Richard Rodriguez Jr., who was a member of the Near North (18th) Police District tactical team until he was stripped of his police powers in February, has been suspended for at least 83 days in connection with eight incidents of misconduct, records show.

Chicago’s police oversight board pressed Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling on Thursday about why Chicago police officers did not do more to stop federal agents from carrying out aggressive immigration raids across the city.

“CHA residents deserve leadership decisions that are transparent, lawful and grounded in their lived experiences, not a process that prioritizes expediency over accountability,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

The trial is set to start April 6, just days after the fifth anniversary of Adam’s death, which spurred demonstrations and renewed calls for police reform.