Mayor Johnson Faces Criticism for Shrinking Chicago Police Force

Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing sharp criticism for a budget strategy that continues to shrink the Chicago Police Department, with Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson accusing the administration of “chopping away” at the force to balance the city’s books. The mayor’s $17.6 billion budget freezes 368 police vacancies and replaces dozens of sworn officers with civilian employees, extending a multi-year trend of attrition and cuts.

This isn’t just a line-item dispute; it’s a fundamental disagreement over how Chicago handles public safety. While the administration argues that “civilianizing” certain roles frees up officers for street work, city officials and aldermen warn that the loss of personnel is creating gaps in response times, particularly in the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.

Chicago alders hold first in series of hearings on Mayor Brandon Johnson's budget plan

The math of a shrinking force

The numbers revealed during recent City Council budget hearings paint a picture of a department in steady decline. Acting Police Superintendent Fred Waller testified that the mayor’s office specifically requested the elimination of 132 positions for the current cycle. This follows a few years of staffing losses.

Year	Staffing Change
2024	833 positions eliminated
2025	54 net positions cut
Current Budget	132 positions eliminated

The department is currently locked in a stalemate with attrition. While the CPD hired 539 officers last year against 397 retirements, the pace has slowed. So far this year, 407 hirings have been offset by 363 retirements. It is a marginal gain that fails to address a larger historical void. Waller noted that when he served as chief of patrol, the force hovered around 14,000 officers—a number the city has fallen short of.

City council meeting vector illustration with effective business team employee brainstorming for important negotiation in fla

To mitigate the damage, Waller negotiated a concession from the mayor: the police academy will now operate year-round with recruit classes of 50 or more. This shift from an eight-month schedule to a twelve-month cycle is intended to help the department “catch up” and stabilize recruitment.

Response times and the “civilianization” gamble

The human cost of these cuts is most visible in the South and West Side districts, where violent crime is traditionally highest and response times have suffered most. Finance Chair Pat Dowell questioned how a hiring freeze could possibly improve the “gaping difference” in response times between districts.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson talks about his 2027 budget proposal

The administration’s counter-argument rests on “civilianization.” First Deputy Police Superintendent Antoinette Ursitti explained that the city is moving essential duties—tasks that can be fulfilled by a non-sworn member—to non-sworn members. The goal is to push more officers back into patrol cars. However, for many on the City Council, this feels like a shell game played while the total number of boots on the ground continues to drop.

“The budget your department has been handed by this administration … has shown a steady decline in budgeted police officer positions,” Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) told Superintendent Waller.

This decline is manifesting as a lack of presence in commercial corridors. Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) highlighted a recent rash of burglaries along Clark Street, where thirteen windows were smashed in a single Monday night. Knudsen argued that officers are often tied up with downtown demands or events at Wrigley Field, leaving the north part of his ward without a single available patrol car during critical windows.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to present 2027 budget plan

Police officials hide details on gun detection technology

As the human workforce shrinks, the city has leaned on technology, but that transition has been fraught with secrecy. During the hearings, police officials refused to name the winner of the bid process to replace ShotSpotter. Even more concerning was the apparent lack of knowledge regarding a new gun detection pilot program.

When Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) pressed for details on the pilot, officials deferred him to the mayor’s chief procurement officer. O’Shea’s frustration was evident, noting that if the police department doesn’t know the details of the technology they are supposed to use, the city needs the procurement officers in the room.

Just look how much better clark street could be petition in

Chief of Detectives Kevin Bruno defended the department’s struggle with retail theft, calling these investigations “challenging” due to the use of stolen vehicles and masked offenders. He promised a reliance on license plate readers and cell phone data to disrupt burglary crews—a high-tech solution to a problem that many aldermen believe requires more physical police presence.

The tension in the budget hearings reveals a city at a crossroads. The mayor is betting that a leaner, more civilian-supported police force can maintain order through efficiency and technology. But for the business owners on Clark Street and the residents of the South Side, the “efficiency” of a shrinking department looks a lot like abandonment.