City’s Police Misconduct Payouts Total Over Half A Billion In Last Eight Years

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was not shy in expressing his frustration with prosecutors’ decision to drop the charges against Jussie Smollett. During a joint news conference with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Johnson reiterated his belief that Smollett “committed this hoax.“
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was not shy in expressing his frustration with prosecutors' decision to drop the charges against Jussie Smollett. During a joint news conference with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Johnson reiterated his belief that Smollett "committed this hoax."
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was not shy in expressing his frustration with prosecutors’ decision to drop the charges against Jussie Smollett. During a joint news conference with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Johnson reiterated his belief that Smollett “committed this hoax.“
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was not shy in expressing his frustration with prosecutors' decision to drop the charges against Jussie Smollett. During a joint news conference with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Johnson reiterated his belief that Smollett "committed this hoax."

City’s Police Misconduct Payouts Total Over Half A Billion In Last Eight Years

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

According to data released by the city’s law department, the city paid out more in police misconduct payouts last year than any year since 2011, and more than what was paid in 2016 and 2017 combined.

Last month, a federal judge formally approved the consent decree drafted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office, the Illinois Attorney General and the Chicago Police Department. The consent decree will govern police reform efforts, largely adapted from a January 2017 Department of Justice report that gave 99 recommendations for reform in CPD.

Implementation of the consent decree is expected to strongly reduce the number of police misconduct incidents.

For more on this story, Morning Shift checks in with Jonah Newman, who analyzed the data for the Chicago Reporter.

GUESTS: Jonah Newman, data journalist

LEARN MORE: Chicago spent more than $113 million on police misconduct lawsuits in 2018 (Chicago Reporter 3/7/19)