CHICAGO — Chicago has made significant and lasting progress in meeting its obligations under the Consent Decree.  From the start of his administration, Mayor Brandon Johnson has emphasized the importance of constitutional policing, which is reflected in the City and Chicago Police Department’s increasing levels of compliance under Superintendent Snelling’s leadership. 

 “My administration is taking significant steps forward to fully support the implementation of CPD’s consent decree reforms and ensure effective constitutional policing,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “The investments we are making in our balanced budget reflect our commitment to improving community policing and a better, stronger, safer Chicago. We see progress in key areas. As I have always said, we have a commitment to reform, and we will continue to make the investments to fund our obligations under the consent decree.” 

 This progress demonstrates our commitment to achieving meaningful reform while building trust between police and the communities they serve.  

In recent months, CPD launched a workforce allocation study to comprehensively evaluate staffing levels across all bureaus and ranks, including sworn and civilian positions. Partnering with community organizations, the City also initiated engagement sessions to gather insights shaping policies, training, and the workforce allocation study, reimagining community policing in alignment with Consent Decree mandates. The Mayor’s Office of Community Safety is coordinating safety strategies through biweekly cabinet meetings, exceeding the Consent Decree’s quarterly requirements. Additionally, the City issued an RFP for a records management system to enhance data collection for full compliance with the Consent Decree and streamline officers' report writing. To date, the City has achieved some level of compliance with over 90% of the original 504 paragraphs in the Consent Decree, with the Independent Monitoring Team highlighting steady progress—underscoring the building momentum of Chicago’s reform efforts. 

The Chicago Police Department is a department in transformation," said Superintendent Larry Snelling. "Since the consent decree was implemented, we continue to build a critical infrastructure to further our reform efforts. It is vital that as we continue working toward operational compliance in all areas of the consent decree, we also invest in the staffing and resources that allow us to implement substantive and lasting reform throughout CPD. This investment will continue the progress the Department has made." 

 “I appreciate that the concerns that I expressed regarding the proposed cuts to CPD’s budget were heard and addressed, and I am encouraged by the positive conversations I had with the corporation counsel,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “After stops and starts over the last five years, CPD now has an opportunity to build real, sustained momentum toward effective, constitutional policing with adequate staffing. I am confident that Superintendent Snelling and his team can meet this moment — if we continue to support them.” 

 Crafting a budget that supports these goals requires collaboration with various stakeholders while balancing the diverse needs of all Chicagoans with our financial responsibilities. Under the leadership of the Mayor, and with guidance from Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry and Budget Director Annette Guzman, the City will propose a budget amendment to the City Council to fully restore all 162 consent decree vacancies within the Chicago Police Department’s budget. This amendment aims to ensure continued progress with the Consent Decree as we collectively work towards full compliance. 

###