Settling for Misconduct, an interactive database created by The Chicago Reporter, tracks how much the city spends to settle civil rights lawsuits against Chicago police officers and which officers cost the city the most. Chicago has paid more than half a billion dollars since 2005 to settle lawsuits against police officers — money the city cannot afford. Rather than rein in the practices that lead to police misconduct settlements, city officials borrowed tens of millions of dollars a year to pay for these lawsuits, adding to the city’s mounting debt. Over time, the interest on the bonds more than doubles the cost taxpayers bear for police misconduct.
Chicago Reporter (https://www.chicagoreporter.com/series/settling-for-misconduct/page/2/)
Despite spending more than $370 million on police misconduct lawsuits in six years, the city has not heeded official calls to analyze the cases for trends. Read more >>
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Jonah Newman | Rather than rein in the practices that lead to police misconduct settlements, officials have borrowed millions to pay for these lawsuits, adding to the city’s crippling debt. Over time, the interest on the bonds will more than double the cost for police misconduct.