Committee on Budget and Government Operations meeting, November 5, 2025

When: Wed, Nov 5, 2025, 9:30 AM (Chicago time)
Where: City Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
Status: Scheduled & Published
Committee: Committee on Budget and Government Operations
Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8925576?video=1133694825
Transcript: full text (67,749 words, automatic captions)

Video chapters

5:02 Public comment
37:33 City Council Office of Financial Analysis overview of the proposed 2026 Chicago Police Department budget
40:52 Opening statement by Superintendent Snelling
47:21 Committee member questions on the Chicago Police Department budget
47:29 Michelle A. Harris: Thanked her district commanders for their responsiveness to her ward.
48:23 Michelle A. Harris: Asked which districts had the sharpest declines in crime.
50:16 Michelle A. Harris: Asked what is driving the increase in overtime.
53:53 Brendan Reilly: Asked whether the 2026 budget reduces sworn or civilian staffing or eliminates funded sworn…
55:04 Brendan Reilly: Asked what the higher turnover figure means for hiring and whether fewer recruit classes are…
57:30 Brendan Reilly: Said he has advocated against letting the force drop too far and asked whether retirements…
1:07:57 Jason C. Ervin: Asked whether CTA still funds special employment of police officers, how much is allocated…
1:10:15 Pat Dowell: Asked how many patrol hours the city receives for the $30 million CTA special employment program.
1:11:25 Pat Dowell: Asked how many officers are on medical leave or injured-on-duty status compared with last year.
1:13:23 Pat Dowell: Asked the superintendent's view of the management ordinance provision giving City Council…
1:25:15 Marty Quinn: Asked how many patrol officers the department has and how many officers are eligible to retire…
1:26:31 Marty Quinn: Asked how many candidates are in the hiring queue before entering the academy.
1:28:06 Marty Quinn: Expressed concern about pausing hiring for three months given the length of time needed to…
1:38:23 Matthew J. O'Shea: Praised the department's preparation for the hearing.
1:38:45 Matthew J. O'Shea: Asked about barriers to hiring for consent decree positions.
1:40:10 Matthew J. O'Shea: Cited an Ernst & Young estimate of savings from an early warning system and asked how…
1:49:11 Debra L. Silverstein: Asked what the department is doing to protect Jewish, gay and other vulnerable…
1:55:10 Debra L. Silverstein: Asked whether the civil rights unit has its own detectives and whether detectives are…
1:56:56 Debra L. Silverstein: Asked whether the hate crime victim advocate position had been eliminated.
2:03:25 Raymond A. Lopez: Asked what progress is being made to make unpermitted protest events comply with the…
2:04:26 Raymond A. Lopez: Said recurring unpermitted weekend protests downtown consume resources and argued the city…
2:08:08 Raymond A. Lopez: Said businesses on the southwest side report being told CPD will not respond unless a…
2:10:46 Jason C. Ervin: Asked whether the department has changed or plans to change which calls it responds to,…
2:12:40 Jason C. Ervin: Clarified he meant non-confrontational calls that could be handled by others and asked…
2:14:24 Anthony V. Napolitano: Pointed out that, aside from calls involving guns, domestic calls are among the most…
2:32:46 Byron Sigcho-López: Asked for the rationale for and cost of the mounted police unit.
2:33:55 Byron Sigcho-López: Cited the Ernst & Young report to argue resources could be shifted to expand mental…
2:37:18 Byron Sigcho-López: Said ceremonial functions should be weighed against needs such as food insecurity and…
2:45:18 Derrick G. Curtis: Asked whether a retired sworn officer can apply for a civilian position.
2:46:26 David H. Moore: Asked for more help addressing prostitution near 76th and Halsted and 73rd Street, saying…
2:47:40 David H. Moore: Asked whether victim specialist positions are civilian and whether domestic calls are up or…
2:49:16 David H. Moore: Said he funded a camera at 76th Street and urged active use of the camera feeds, and…
3:01:06 Daniel La Spata: Cited a Lakeview resident's report of trespassing and property damage by immigration agents…
3:04:33 Daniel La Spata: Asked to confirm whether entering property without a warrant and damaging it would not be…
3:05:49 Daniel La Spata: Asked about progress on whether traffic stops will be added to the consent decree and on…
3:12:38 Brian Hopkins: Expressed full support for the superintendent and his leadership team.
3:13:13 Brian Hopkins: Asked whether the resource allocation study will address overtime and radio assignment…
3:15:41 Brian Hopkins: Asked how the department documents backlogs of low-priority calls that go unanswered.
3:27:17 Timothy R. Knudsen: Said the 18th District no longer has a designated mental health officer and asked how…
3:30:22 Timothy R. Knudsen: Asked what fills the gap in districts without a CARE team.
3:31:43 Timothy R. Knudsen: Said partial CARE coverage is disjointed and that full citywide investment is needed for…
3:37:33 William Conway: Said the 1st District should have a permanent commander.
3:37:57 William Conway: Asked how many drones the department uses.
3:38:12 William Conway: Noted the budget lists police cadets at $15.80 an hour, below the minimum wage, and asked…
3:43:40 Ronnie L. Mosley: Asked whether civilian hiring takes longer than sworn hiring.
3:45:28 Ronnie L. Mosley: Asked about department policy on criminal trespass and squatters under new legislation…
3:47:44 Ronnie L. Mosley: Asked whether CTA private security could be given authority to write citations, similar to…
5:09:33 Gilbert Villegas: Asked whether the department is still recruiting veterans at military bases and how much…
5:11:41 Gilbert Villegas: Asked for advice on addressing open-air cannabis and Delta-8 markets where he said there…
5:16:10 Gilbert Villegas: Asked whether the department has asked state legislators to change laws affecting…
5:20:26 Monique L. Scott: Thanked the superintendent and her area commanders and said residents expect immediate…
5:22:48 Nicole T. Lee: Said crime victims can feel lost in the process and asked how many victim services positions…
5:26:41 Nicole T. Lee: Asked what is causing delays that lose candidates in victim specialist hiring.
5:27:23 Nicole T. Lee: Requested the victim specialist job description and asked how the department measures success.
5:40:39 Nicholas Sposato: Said he believes most overtime goes toward protests.
5:41:03 Nicholas Sposato: Recommended colleagues review the superintendent's press conference guidance on…
5:41:27 Nicholas Sposato: Asked the department to consider adding a dedicated social media and public relations…
5:43:43 Michael D. Rodriguez: Commended the 10th District for supporting student walkouts.
5:44:10 Michael D. Rodriguez: Described immigration agents taking a teacher from a school that morning and…
5:46:43 Michael D. Rodriguez: Asked whether CPD has protocols for requesting federal agents' credentials and…
5:58:28 Anthony V. Napolitano: Requested ten years of data on officer headcount, retirements, hires who completed…
6:00:57 Anthony V. Napolitano: Asked what besides shootings and homicides drives overtime and canceled days off.
6:14:13 Walter R. Burnett: Asked about efforts to return foot patrols to neighborhoods.
6:16:31 Walter R. Burnett: Asked about the timeline for civilianizing positions identified in the Ernst & Young study.
6:18:13 Walter R. Burnett: Asked how training is split between the academy near Skinner Park and the newer facility…
6:25:30 Anthony J. Quezada: Said federal immigration policies create contradictions that can lead residents to…
6:27:04 Anthony J. Quezada: Asked how CPD responds when officers or residents see intimidation, unlawful detention…
6:28:16 Anthony J. Quezada: Asked whether CPD has authority to act when agents use city property in violation of the…
6:36:31 Bennett R. Lawson: Asked to what extent the department has been involved in proposed intoxicating hemp…
6:37:45 Bennett R. Lawson: Asked how extra officers for events are determined, who is billed and whether cost…
6:41:33 Bennett R. Lawson: Said he had not received a response to a letter about chamber and City Hall security and…
6:48:33 Lamont J. Robinson: Said crime is declining but Chicago faces a perception problem.
6:49:33 Lamont J. Robinson: Asked when a new 2nd District commander will be named.
6:52:08 Lamont J. Robinson: Asked about officer staffing numbers and recruitment of officers who reflect the city's…
6:58:33 Peter Chico: Asked how many mobile camera units the department has, how often they are used and how they can…
7:01:35 Peter Chico: Asked how success is measured for district coordination officers and the CAPS program.
7:04:31 Peter Chico: Asked how resources are allocated among lakefront beaches, including Calumet Park Beach.
7:08:09 Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth: Asked for ongoing conversations on how residents and officers can respond to…
7:08:53 Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth: Asked why the victim services office expanded while community-based organizations…
7:11:47 Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth: Asked whether the victim services positions are mandated by the consent decree.
7:23:02 Jeanette B. Taylor: Asked about the status of the Anjanette Young ordinance and requested a meeting on it.
7:24:09 Jeanette B. Taylor: Asked how Memorial Day and Fourth of July incidents compared with the prior year.
7:25:14 Jeanette B. Taylor: Asked how many CPD officers have been injured by immigration agents.
7:35:37 Emma Mitts: Asked for data on sex trafficking and on missing girls in the city.
7:38:16 Emma Mitts: Asked how officers handle calls involving people with mental illness.
7:41:08 Emma Mitts: Asked what priority is given to calls about open-air drug sales.
7:50:42 Stephanie D. Coleman: Asked what is happening at the old 7th District building and followed up on an…
7:51:51 Stephanie D. Coleman: Asked how animal attacks are handled at the district level.
7:52:38 Stephanie D. Coleman: Asked about the protocol for district council members communicating with districts,…
8:03:05 Angela Clay: Asked why snow trucks have been deployed around the city.
8:05:59 Angela Clay: Asked whether veterans and retirees are being used in civilian roles.
8:06:55 Angela Clay: Asked about the decline in grant funding in the 2026 budget.
8:15:43 Second round of member questions

Meeting notes

AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.

The Committee on Budget and Government Operations held its 2026 budget hearing on the Chicago Police Department, opening with eight public commenters who mostly urged reducing police overtime and vacancies and funding non-police crisis response, youth jobs and a community safety surcharge. The City Council Office of Financial Analysis summarized the proposed $2.1 billion CPD budget, including an overtime budget raised from $100 million to $200 million, and Superintendent Snelling described declines in violent crime, a higher homicide clearance rate and consent decree progress. Alderpersons then questioned the department on overtime and cost recovery for events and protests, sworn hiring, attrition and vacancies, civilianization, the pending workforce allocation study, transit crime, gunshot detection and other technology, victim services, hate crimes, the mounted unit, and how CPD responds to federal immigration enforcement activity. Department officials agreed to provide many requested figures through the chair. This was a hearing with no votes; the committee recessed to the next day to continue with the Office of Public Safety Administration.

Topics: Chicago Police Department budget, Police overtime, Hiring, attrition and vacancies, Civilianization and workforce allocation study, Federal immigration enforcement, Transit crime, Crime-fighting technology, Victim services, Protests and special events, Mental health crisis response

Agenda items discussed

5:02 Public comment: discussed
37:33 City Council Office of Financial Analysis overview of the proposed 2026 Chicago Police Department budget: discussed
40:52 Opening statement by Superintendent Snelling: discussed
47:21 Committee member questions on the Chicago Police Department budget: discussed
8:15:43 Second round of member questions: discussed
8:26:13 Chair's questions and recess until the next day's hearing with the Office of Public Safety Administration

Alderpersons who spoke

Jason C. Ervin (chair): Asked whether CTA still funds special employment of police officers, how much is allocated and whether staffing for it has changed. (1:07:57); Asked whether the department has changed or plans to change which calls it responds to, citing past discussion of non-police matters such as family arguments. (2:10:46); Clarified he meant non-confrontational calls that could be handled by others and asked whether this would be evaluated in the workforce allocation study. (2:12:40)
Michelle A. Harris (alderperson): Thanked her district commanders for their responsiveness to her ward. (47:29); Asked which districts had the sharpest declines in crime. (48:23); Asked what is driving the increase in overtime. (50:16)
Brendan Reilly (alderperson): Asked whether the 2026 budget reduces sworn or civilian staffing or eliminates funded sworn vacancies. (53:53); Asked what the higher turnover figure means for hiring and whether fewer recruit classes are being used to meet the overtime budget. (55:04); Said he has advocated against letting the force drop too far and asked whether retirements are increasing and hiring can keep pace. (57:30)
Pat Dowell (alderperson): Asked how many patrol hours the city receives for the $30 million CTA special employment program. (1:10:15); Asked how many officers are on medical leave or injured-on-duty status compared with last year. (1:11:25); Asked the superintendent's view of the management ordinance provision giving City Council authority over overtime above the budgeted amount. (1:13:23)
Marty Quinn (alderperson): Asked how many patrol officers the department has and how many officers are eligible to retire in 2026. (1:25:15); Asked how many candidates are in the hiring queue before entering the academy. (1:26:31); Expressed concern about pausing hiring for three months given the length of time needed to train officers. (1:28:06)
Matthew J. O'Shea (alderperson): Praised the department's preparation for the hearing. (1:38:23); Asked about barriers to hiring for consent decree positions. (1:38:45); Cited an Ernst & Young estimate of savings from an early warning system and asked how helpful such a system could be. (1:40:10)
Debra L. Silverstein (alderperson): Asked what the department is doing to protect Jewish, gay and other vulnerable communities from hate crimes. (1:49:11); Asked whether the civil rights unit has its own detectives and whether detectives are trained for different kinds of hate crimes. (1:55:10); Asked whether the hate crime victim advocate position had been eliminated. (1:56:56)
Raymond A. Lopez (alderperson): Asked what progress is being made to make unpermitted protest events comply with the public assembly section of the municipal code. (2:03:25); Said recurring unpermitted weekend protests downtown consume resources and argued the city should issue fines or seek cost recovery. (2:04:26); Said businesses on the southwest side report being told CPD will not respond unless a weapon or injury is involved, and asked whether that reflects policy. (2:08:08)
Anthony V. Napolitano (alderperson): Pointed out that, aside from calls involving guns, domestic calls are among the most dangerous calls officers respond to. (2:14:24); Requested ten years of data on officer headcount, retirements, hires who completed probation, and applicant test and background outcomes. (5:58:28); Asked what besides shootings and homicides drives overtime and canceled days off. (6:00:57)
Byron Sigcho-López (alderperson): Asked for the rationale for and cost of the mounted police unit. (2:32:46); Cited the Ernst & Young report to argue resources could be shifted to expand mental health crisis response and said the council should examine the mounted unit. (2:33:55); Said ceremonial functions should be weighed against needs such as food insecurity and mental health services. (2:37:18)
Derrick G. Curtis (alderperson): Asked whether a retired sworn officer can apply for a civilian position. (2:45:18)
David H. Moore (alderperson): Asked for more help addressing prostitution near 76th and Halsted and 73rd Street, saying businesses are affected. (2:46:26); Asked whether victim specialist positions are civilian and whether domestic calls are up or down. (2:47:40); Said he funded a camera at 76th Street and urged active use of the camera feeds, and requested shooting numbers by ward. (2:49:16)
Daniel La Spata (alderperson): Cited a Lakeview resident's report of trespassing and property damage by immigration agents not moving forward and asked whether that follows general orders. (3:01:06); Asked to confirm whether entering property without a warrant and damaging it would not be treated as criminal when done by federal agents. (3:04:33); Asked about progress on whether traffic stops will be added to the consent decree and on reporting discrepancies. (3:05:49)
Brian Hopkins (alderperson): Expressed full support for the superintendent and his leadership team. (3:12:38); Asked whether the resource allocation study will address overtime and radio assignment pending calls. (3:13:13); Asked how the department documents backlogs of low-priority calls that go unanswered. (3:15:41)
Timothy R. Knudsen (alderperson): Said the 18th District no longer has a designated mental health officer and asked how crisis intervention needs are being met. (3:27:17); Asked what fills the gap in districts without a CARE team. (3:30:22); Said partial CARE coverage is disjointed and that full citywide investment is needed for full impact. (3:31:43)
William Conway (alderperson): Said the 1st District should have a permanent commander. (3:37:33); Asked how many drones the department uses. (3:37:57); Noted the budget lists police cadets at $15.80 an hour, below the minimum wage, and asked how many cadets there are. (3:38:12)
Ronnie L. Mosley (alderperson): Asked whether civilian hiring takes longer than sworn hiring. (3:43:40); Asked about department policy on criminal trespass and squatters under new legislation taking effect January 1. (3:45:28); Asked whether CTA private security could be given authority to write citations, similar to university police partnerships. (3:47:44)
Gilbert Villegas (alderperson): Asked whether the department is still recruiting veterans at military bases and how much that shortened hiring. (5:09:33); Asked for advice on addressing open-air cannabis and Delta-8 markets where he said there are few consequences. (5:11:41); Asked whether the department has asked state legislators to change laws affecting enforcement and offered to help advocate. (5:16:10)
Monique L. Scott (alderperson): Thanked the superintendent and her area commanders and said residents expect immediate answers that police cannot always provide. (5:20:26)
Nicole T. Lee (alderperson): Said crime victims can feel lost in the process and asked how many victim services positions are vacant. (5:22:48); Asked what is causing delays that lose candidates in victim specialist hiring. (5:26:41); Requested the victim specialist job description and asked how the department measures success. (5:27:23)
Nicholas Sposato (alderperson): Said he believes most overtime goes toward protests. (5:40:39); Recommended colleagues review the superintendent's press conference guidance on immigration enforcement. (5:41:03); Asked the department to consider adding a dedicated social media and public relations position to highlight positive police work. (5:41:27)
Michael D. Rodriguez (alderperson): Commended the 10th District for supporting student walkouts. (5:43:43); Described immigration agents taking a teacher from a school that morning and detentions of U.S. citizens, and expressed concern about masked, unidentifiable agents. (5:44:10); Asked whether CPD has protocols for requesting federal agents' credentials and identifying them if they act unlawfully. (5:46:43)
Walter R. Burnett (alderperson): Asked about efforts to return foot patrols to neighborhoods. (6:14:13); Asked about the timeline for civilianizing positions identified in the Ernst & Young study. (6:16:31); Asked how training is split between the academy near Skinner Park and the newer facility further west. (6:18:13)
Anthony J. Quezada (alderperson): Said federal immigration policies create contradictions that can lead residents to perceive CPD as not protecting them. (6:25:30); Asked how CPD responds when officers or residents see intimidation, unlawful detention or surveillance by immigration agents. (6:27:04); Asked whether CPD has authority to act when agents use city property in violation of the mayor's executive order. (6:28:16)
Bennett R. Lawson (alderperson): Asked to what extent the department has been involved in proposed intoxicating hemp regulation. (6:36:31); Asked how extra officers for events are determined, who is billed and whether cost recovery will change. (6:37:45); Said he had not received a response to a letter about chamber and City Hall security and asked whether an assessment had been done. (6:41:33)
Lamont J. Robinson (alderperson): Said crime is declining but Chicago faces a perception problem. (6:48:33); Asked when a new 2nd District commander will be named. (6:49:33); Asked about officer staffing numbers and recruitment of officers who reflect the city's makeup. (6:52:08)
Peter Chico (alderperson): Asked how many mobile camera units the department has, how often they are used and how they can be requested. (6:58:33); Asked how success is measured for district coordination officers and the CAPS program. (7:01:35); Asked how resources are allocated among lakefront beaches, including Calumet Park Beach. (7:04:31)
Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (alderperson): Asked for ongoing conversations on how residents and officers can respond to immigration enforcement in neighborhoods. (7:08:09); Asked why the victim services office expanded while community-based organizations face funding cuts. (7:08:53); Asked whether the victim services positions are mandated by the consent decree. (7:11:47)
Jeanette B. Taylor (alderperson): Asked about the status of the Anjanette Young ordinance and requested a meeting on it. (7:23:02); Asked how Memorial Day and Fourth of July incidents compared with the prior year. (7:24:09); Asked how many CPD officers have been injured by immigration agents. (7:25:14)
Emma Mitts (alderperson): Asked for data on sex trafficking and on missing girls in the city. (7:35:37); Asked how officers handle calls involving people with mental illness. (7:38:16); Asked what priority is given to calls about open-air drug sales. (7:41:08)
Stephanie D. Coleman (alderperson): Asked what is happening at the old 7th District building and followed up on an outstanding request for school barricades. (7:50:42); Asked how animal attacks are handled at the district level. (7:51:51); Asked about the protocol for district council members communicating with districts, citing a disconnect in the 7th District. (7:52:38)
Angela Clay (alderperson): Asked why snow trucks have been deployed around the city. (8:03:05); Asked whether veterans and retirees are being used in civilian roles. (8:05:59); Asked about the decline in grant funding in the 2026 budget. (8:06:55)

Exchanges between members

1:07:44 Alderperson Brendan Reilly thanked the chair for allowing him additional questions on the CTA issue.
1:25:00 The chair thanked Alderperson Pat Dowell for asking about the 1st District commander, saying he had planned to ask the same question.
1:35:31 Alderperson Marty Quinn asked the chair for help identifying the dedicated tax revenue for police technology.
1:35:46 The chair responded that the revenue appeared to be E911 funds and that OPSA and OEMC could answer the question.
2:10:38 The chair interjected during Alderperson Raymond A. Lopez time to raise a related question about which calls police respond to.
2:14:24 Alderperson Anthony V. Napolitano responded to the chair's example by noting that domestic calls are among the most dangerous calls officers handle.
2:45:09 The chair told Alderperson Derrick G. Curtis that his question was not what a point of information is for but allowed him to proceed.
6:24:32 Alderperson Gilbert Villegas told the chair and Alderperson Walter R. Burnett that he and Alderperson Daniel La Spata are working on the 12th District satellite office and could provide funding.
7:35:12 Alderperson Jeanette B. Taylor thanked the chairman at the end of her questioning.
7:50:00 Alderperson Stephanie D. Coleman greeted Chairman Jason C. Ervin on his return and listed notable people from Englewood.
8:26:06 Alderperson Byron Sigcho-López thanked the chairman at the end of his second round.

Documents

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