Chicago Police Department
| Chicago Police Department | |
|---|---|
 Patch | |
 Seal | |
 Badge | |
| Common name | Chicago P.D. |
| Abbreviation | CPD |
| Motto | We Serve and Protect |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | December 20, 1835 |
| Employees | 13,086 (2020)[1] |
| Annual budget | $1.7 billion (2020)[1] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
 | |
| Jurisdictional area | |
| Size | 237 sq mi (610 km2) |
| Population | 2,746,388 (2020) |
| Legal jurisdiction | As per operations jurisdiction |
| Governing body | Chicago City Council |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 3510 S. Michigan Ave Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Police officers |  12,000 of 13,500 (2025)[2][3] |
| Civilian employees | 948 (2020)[1] |
| Mayor of Chicago responsible | |
| Agency executive | |
| Bureaus | 6
|
| Facilities | |
| Districts | 22[4]
|
| Website | |
| chicagopolice | |
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, under the jurisdiction of the Chicago City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United States, behind the New York City Police Department.[5] As of 2025, the CPD had 11,554 sworn officers on duty,[6] and has 124 units.[clarification needed] Tracing its roots to 1835,[7] the Chicago Police Department is one of the oldest modern police departments in the world.
Department structure
[edit]
Office of the Superintendent
[edit]The Superintendent of Police leads the Chicago Police Department.
In 1960, the municipal government created a five-member police board charged with nominating a superintendent to be the chief authority over police officers, drafting and adopting rules and regulations governing the police system, submitting budget requests to the city council, and hearing and deciding disciplinary cases involving police officers.[8] Criminologist O. W. Wilson was brought on as Superintendent of Police, and served until 1967 when he retired.[9] This position, in its current iteration, has existed as the head of the Chicago Police Department since 1960.[10]
Salary
[edit]Starting salary for Chicago police officers in 2025 is $61,782, which is increased to $93,186 after 18 months. Promotions to specialized or command positions also increase an officer's base pay. Salaries were supplemented with a $2,920 annual duty availability and an $1,800 annual uniform allowance.[11]
Demographics
[edit]In 2017, the composition of the department's sworn personnel by gender was 77% male and 23% female.[12] The highest ranked woman in Chicago police history was Barbara West,[13] who was appointed to the department's third-highest rank (the deputy superintendent) in 2020.[14]
In 2017, the racial composition of the department's sworn personnel was:[15]
- 50% non-Hispanic White
- 25% Hispanic (of any race)
- 21% African American
- 3% Asian American/Pacific Islander
- 1% other
Union
[edit]The Chicago Police Department became unionized at the end of 1980.[16] Chicago police officers are represented by the Fraternal Order of Police. In 2020, Officer John Catanzara was elected as the head of the union. Catanzara has faced multiple complaints throughout his career and has made controversial remarks about Muslims and the January 6th Capitol Attack.[17][18][19][20][21][22]
Oversight
[edit]Five government agencies are charged with various aspects of police oversight in Chicago: a set of 22 Police District Councils, the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, the Chicago Police Board, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, and the Deputy Inspector General for Public Safety. Most of these bodies were created by ordinances passed in 2016 and 2021, and their membership is determined through a mix of appointments by the Mayor of Chicago, confirmations by the Chicago City Council, and elections.
History
[edit]According to historian Sam Mitrani, the Chicago Police Department professionalized and grew in size during the 19th century in order to quell labor unrest. City policymakers cooperated with business elites in terms of structuring the police department. The Chicago Police Department remained beset by vast corruption well into the 20th century.[23]
19th century
[edit]
In 1825, prior to the creation of Cook County, what would later become the village of Chicago, was then located in Putnam County.[24] Archibald Clybourn was appointed to be Constable of the area between the DuPage River and Lake Michigan. Clybourn went on to become an important citizen of the city, and the diagonal Clybourn Avenue is named after him.