Chicago mayor shifts budget plan, restores jobs for consent decree compliance

CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a significant change to his proposed budget on Tuesday, restoring 162 positions within the Chicago Police Department that are dedicated to carrying out the police consent decree.

"We have a commitment to reform," Johnson said in a statement. "And we will continue to make the investments to fund our obligations under the consent decree."

The decision follows growing concerns from critics who had argued that the earlier proposal to cut these positions would hinder progress on police reform efforts.

Earlier in the day, the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability released its annual report on the city's budget. The report, required by law before the City Council votes on the budget, highlighted several areas of concern.

Among the issues raised was the elimination of positions related to the consent decree, which mandates police reforms following a 2017 U.S. Department of Justice investigation. The commission also flagged the need for better workforce allocation to improve police response times and noted a lack of budget transparency, making it challenging to assess the department’s operations effectively.

A coalition of former City and State officials released the following statement on this new change:

"We are pleased that the administration has committed to restore 162 civilian CPD positions that are critical to achieving the city’s Consent Decree compliance. Too much is at stake for our communities – we cannot afford to relent on police reform or risk the city being held in contempt of court for not meeting the Consent Decree mandates, as Attorney General Raoul has warned. As the administration and City Council continue their work to craft and approve a budget that meets the priorities of all Chicagoans, we will continue to advocate for both the restoration and funding of these positions to ensure that Chicago reaches full Consent Decree compliance."