The city of Chicago spent $119.7 million on overtime for members of the Chicago Police Department during the first six months of 2025 — nearly 20% more than the Chicago City Council set aside for police overtime as part of the city’s annual budget, according to records published by the city’s watchdog.
CPD spent approximately 7% less on overtime during the first six months of 2025 than it did during the same period in 2024, according to a WTTW News analysis that compared 2024 data, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request from city officials, and a database published by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg.
Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling defended CPD’s spending on overtime during the department’s mid-year budget hearing on Wednesday, where alderpeople peppered him with questions about his efforts to rein in police overtime, a perpetual source of heartburn for members of the City Council…