By Illinois Review
Mayor Brandon Johnson keeps telling Chicago residents their city is “safe.” But his actions tell a very different story.
Despite his public confidence, reports indicate that Mayor Johnson’s security detail includes a dedicated team of 150 Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers, costing taxpayers an estimated $22.5 million annually in salaries alone – not including overtime, vehicles, or specialized equipment.
When those costs are included, the total likely exceeds $30 million per year.
That makes Johnson’s personal protection operation one of the largest for any mayor in the United States, reportedly larger than that of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who oversees a city nearly twice Chicago’s size.
For comparison, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s detail numbered around 90 officers – a figure that already drew criticism for its size and expense. Johnson’s expanded force represents a massive increase, even as he continues to insist Chicago is safe and improving.
Meanwhile, ordinary Chicagoans face a very different reality.
Only 130 full-time police officers are assigned to patrol the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) – responsible for protecting 79 stations, 146 platforms, and 335 trains. That means the mayor has more officers guarding him personally than the entire force responsible for keeping millions of commuters safe every day.
And while Johnson travels with one of the largest mayoral security details in the country, the same cannot be said for Chicago’s children.
Under pressure from Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Stacy Davis Gates, Johnson supported the removal of police officers from public schools – even as school shootings have tripled nationwide in the last decade, and Chicago continues to lead the nation in youth shootings and murders.
The illusion of safety shattered again over Labor Day weekend, one of the deadliest weekends in recent memory. Police reports show that more than 60 people were shot and at least 10 killed in just three days. Victims included multiple teenagers and young adults – many attacked in broad daylight.
And just recently, federal ICE agents came under attack in Brighton Park during a tense standoff. Chicago police, reportedly under orders to “stand down,” offered no assistance – fueling outrage among law enforcement and federal officials.
The wave of violence prompted President Donald Trump to renew his call to deploy the National Guard to restore order in Chicago. Trump argued that under Mayor Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker, lawlessness has reached a crisis point, citing both the city’s record violence and the attacks on federal officers as proof that local leadership has lost control.
As Chicago continues to grapple with rising violence, strained police morale, and mounting attacks on federal officers, the size and cost of the mayor’s personal protection detail will remain a growing point of public scrutiny.
