Editorial: Before blaming CPD for overtime, look at the city’s demands

For police officers these past few years, Chicago has lurched from one stressful moment to another.

The pandemic shut the city down, then reopened it unevenly. Crime surged. Periods of civil unrest and large-scale protests demanded heavy police presence and offered little respect for officers doing their job. Major events — from the Democratic National Convention to repeated NASCAR races and Lollapalooza — required significant deployments. Teen takeovers and downtown disturbances forced the Chicago Police Department to adapt tactics in real time.

Under steady new leadership, that turbulence is finally dissipating.

Yet that leadership is being painted as the culprits driving up blown budgets. A recent WTTW report shows the Chicago police blew past their overtime budget by more than $500