In light of the new uproar over a police shooting that was over a year ago, where can we turn for financial disclosures about the cost of police misconduct in Chicago?
In its latest comprehensive annual financial report, in the “Commitments and Contingencies” section, the city of Chicago notes that it is a defendant in litigation relating to, among other things, “police conduct.” It also discloses that “City management believes that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the financial position of the City.”
A careful look through this 180-page document does not reveal any disclosures about Chicago’s past financial experience on this score.
But in 2014, a Better Government Association investigation revealed that the city had spent more than $500 million in settlements, legal fees, and other costs relating to “police misconduct" in the past decade, including $80 million in legal fees for non-city defense attorneys alone. The study noted that the true cost was significantly higher, when including insurance costs and compensation for in-house lawyers and investigators. And the BGA concluded that costs were likely to rise in the near future, given trends in pending lawsuits.
Truthful government accounting helps secure government accountability. Chicago could likely benefit from better transparency and more rigorous disclosure about the costs of police misconduct in its annual financial reports.