Chicago

We evaluated each city’s budget based on a full set of criteria as developed in the Reform/Transform toolkit in collaboration with policy experts and advocates. We assessed expenditures on policing and corrections compared to some of the resources and programs that truly keep communities safe: jobs programs, mental health services, and youth development programs. In each city, we looked at both the total operating budget and the general fund budget because each provides useful information: the general fund is the most discretionary part of a jurisdiction’s budget, over which local elected officials have most influence; the total budget shows all sources of funding.

City Data

  • 2,722,586
    Total Population
  • 20.6%
    Poverty status in the past 12 months
  • 12,474
    No. of Police

Sources »

  • $608
    Per capita police and corrections total spending

Racial and Ethnic Demographics

  • 29%
    Latinx
  • 30.5%
    Black/African American
  • 32.7%
    White, non-Hispanic
  • 6.2%
    Asian
  • 0.3%
    American Indian and Alaska Native
  • 0%
    Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
  • 11.2%
    Some other race
  • 2.6%
    2 or more races

Methodology

Center for Popular Democracy researchers evaluated each city’s budget based on a full set of criteria as developed in the Reform/Transform toolkit in collaboration with policy experts and advocates. We assessed expenditures on policing and corrections compared to some of the resources and programs that truly keep communities safe: jobs programs, mental health services, and youth development programs. In each city, we looked at both the total operating budget and the general fund budget

because each provides useful information: the general fund is the most discretionary part of a jurisdiction’s budget, over which local elected officials have most influence; the total budget shows all sources of funding. In some jurisdictions, the total operating budget and total departmental budgets included capital funds; we noted whether or not the budget analysis for each jurisdiction includes capital funds. Read more »