Police Supt. Larry Snelling answers questions at a budget hearing Nov. 15, 2024. [Livestream]

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) defended its budget Friday before the City Council Committee on Budget and Government Operations, and the superintendent addressed proposed cuts to its constitutional policing office and mental health clinician positions.

Next year, CPD’s budget is set to rise from $2.03 billion this year to $2.09 billion next year. The department’s budget is 86.6 percent funded by the city’s Corporate Fund. Next year, the department is set to lose 456 vacant positions. Contractual services will be down next year 84 percent after rising due to expenses for the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC), Illinois Department of Transportation license plate readers and and grant reductions, according to Janice Oda-Gray, chief administrative officer of the Council Office of Financial Analysis. 

“We're going to keep broadening the resources available to our officers, so that they can best serve the people of Chicago,” Police Supt. Larry Snelling said in his opening remarks to the committee.