The pressure on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to maintain police reform funding intensifies as Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sends a stark warning. According to a letter obtained by the
Chicago Sun-Times
, Raoul expressed “grave concern” over the proposed cuts to the Chicago Police Department (CPD) units tasked with enacting federally mandated changes. His concern, driven by the risk of the city being held in contempt of court for not providing the “necessary and reasonable financial resources” required by the consent decree, is evident as he urges the mayor to reconsider.
In the letter dated Tuesday, Raoul didn’t mince words, stating, “Under the consent decree, the City must provide the ‘necessary and reasonable financial resources’ required to fulfill those obligations.” Slashing much-needed resources, he emphasized, would place the city at risk of significant legal repercussions. Despite struggling with a nearly $1 billion shortfall, the mayor’s proposed $17.3 billion budget includes a 45% cut to CPD’s Office of Constitutional Policing and Reform, reducing its staff from 65 budgeted employees to 28, which would bode ill for the progress in police reform.
A
report by WTTW News
notes that Raoul’s letter came in response to “grave concern” that Johnson’s “unwise budget cuts” would undermine the strides CPD has made. The consent decree mandates a fundamental overhaul in CPD’s training, supervision, and discipline—a directive the police department is far from fulfilling, with full compliance reached in only 7% of the agreement according to the latest monitor’s report.
The timing of this dispute is critical, as the proposed budget cuts are announced at a moment when Police Supt. Larry Snelling remarked that progress on the reforms was becoming palpable. With CPD having deftly handled large-scale events such as the Democratic National Convention,
Hickey warned
that the proposed budget cuts would be “a step backward for the CPD reform process at a pivotal point — just when progress is starting to be felt.” This raises concerns over the fate of reforms that are yet to be fully realized.
Raoul’s legal stance could compel the city to restore the positions proposed to be eliminated or face direct court intervention. Mayor Johnson is tasked with a complex balancing act, having to address a significant budget gap by year’s end while ensuring that CPD continues to move towards full compliance with the consent decree. A spokesperson from Corporation Counsel confirmed that ongoing discussions between Raoul and Richardson-Lowry aim at resolving these issues, emphasizing their awareness of the high stakes involved.
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