Chicago’s $662 million police misconduct bill

The city of Chicago has racked up about $662 million in police misconduct expenses over a 14 year period. That is a huge and shocking number.

As you may know, Chicago was in the news last year following the fatal shooting of young black man by a police office which was caught on video. The video itself was not released for months and accusations of a cover up dogged the city police department and the mayor’s office for months.

The millions include settlements and legals fees paid by the city to defend itself against misconduct law suits.

This news accompanied by a litany of complaints by those affected by police misconduct as reported by CBS News depicts a city in turmoil. Family members who have lost loved ones lament the fact that officers remain on duty despite misconduct accusations even in cases where the city paid millions in settlements.

This information adds to the national dialogue that was prompted by the Ferguson riots as well as those in our own city, Baltimore, following the death of Freddie Gray. It will be interesting to determine how Chicago’s bill matches up with other similarly large cities.