Chicago Police Department

What Chicago Police Department does

The Chicago Police Department (CPD), founded in 1835, is a municipal government agency of the City of Chicago, Illinois, and the second-largest police department in the United States with over 12,000 officers serving a population of approximately 2.7 million residents across the City of Chicago. It operates 22 police districts providing localized coverage, with specialty units including the Bureau of Detectives, Bureau of Internal Affairs, Bureau of Patrol, Public Transportation Section Tactical Team, Office of Constitutional Policing and Reform, and the newly established Office of Equity and Engagement. The agency's service portfolio spans 24/7 emergency response (911), non-emergency services (311), online crime reporting (Coplogic DORS), traffic crash report purchase ($6 per report), FOIA processing, victim services, domestic violence response, LGBTQ+ liaison support, language access (Arabic, Chinese, Polish, Spanish), and ADA accommodation. Distribution occurs via district stations, online portals, decentralized field units, and outreach programs including Community Academy, Block Clubs, Gun Turn-In, and Schools Programs.

The department has operated since 2019 under a Consent Decree with the Illinois Attorney General's Office driving constitutional policing reform, and achieved 95% compliance across monitorable paragraphs during IMR-13 (July-December 2025). Its underlying technology stack is built on commodity third-party platforms — Coplogic for online crime reporting, ArcGIS for interactive district mapping, YouTube for crime alerts and suspect identification, Google Translate for multilingual access, and the Chicago Data Portal for open data — with the internally referenced Crime Prevention and Information Center (CPIC) coordinating tip analysis and distribution.

Funding is overwhelmingly through taxpayer-supported City of Chicago municipal budget allocations; CPD generates nominal transactional revenue via traffic crash reports ($6 per report, $1.50 amended), police records services (RAP sheets, fingerprinting, visa clearance letters, name checks), and administration of Cook County Crime Stoppers rewards up to $1,000 for tips leading to felony arrests. The department has no equity ownership, no shareholders, and no traditional corporate governance — leadership rests with the Superintendent of Police (currently Larry Snelling), appointed by the Mayor, under Police Board oversight. Recent strategic positioning reflects deepening partnerships with federal agencies (U.S. Marshals Service Operation Safe Return Chicago May 2026; ATF joint firearms operations April 2026), ongoing internal restructuring (supervisors' unionization push, 254 officers disqualified from testimony, 27 in termination limbo pending Illinois Supreme Court ruling), and a workforce demographic shift positioning Latino officers to become the largest racial group by end of 2026.

Name

Chicago Police Department

Legal name

Chicago Police Department

Website

https://chicagopolice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1835

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Chicago Police Department, founded in 1835, is the municipal law enforcement agency for the City of Chicago with over 12,000 officers across 22 districts. It provides emergency response, online crime reporting, victim services, and community policing under a federal Consent Decree.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Law Enforcement Services

NAICS

Police Protection (922120)

akta.pro primary industry

Police Services (Patrol, Response & Community Policing) (BPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Safety Operations & Command (Incident Command, Special Events) (BPAIAGAG)

Keywords

• Law enforcement services
• Public safety operations
• Community policing programs
• Crime prevention initiatives
• Emergency response services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Taxpayer-Funded Public Safety Services: Primary funding through Chicago city budget allocations from taxpayer revenue. Services are provided to all Chicago residents as essential government function.
2. Traffic Crash Reports: Sale of traffic crash reports to involved parties - $6.00 per report ($1.50 for amended reports)
3. Police Records Services: Fees for case incident reports, RAP sheets/criminal history records, fingerprinting services, visa clearance letters, and name checks
4. Reward Program Administration: CPD administers Cook County Crime Stoppers rewards up to $1,000 for tips resulting in felony arrests

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) provides municipal law enforcement and public safety services to the City of Chicago, including emergency response (911), non-emergency response (311), patrol operations across 22 police districts, criminal investigations, victim services, community policing programs, and online access to crime reporting, public records, and offender databases. Founded in 1835, CPD is the second-largest police department in the United States, with more than 12,000 sworn officers delivering 24/7 public safety coverage to Chicago residents and visitors.

Product overview

The Chicago Police Department operates a comprehensive public-facing digital services platform offering over 30 online services for Chicago citizens. The portfolio spans crime reporting (Online Crime Reporting, Traffic Crash Reports), public safety databases (Adult Arrest Search, Sex Offender Registry, Gun Offender Database, Vehicle Tow/Steal Search), emergency communication (911, 311), community engagement (Missing Persons alerts, Crime Videos, Community Academy, Block Club Registration, Gun Turn-In Program), victim services (Office of Victim Services, Domestic Violence Services), equity programs (LGBTQ+ Liaison, Language Access, ADA Services), and transparency initiatives (FOIA, Data Dashboards, Consent Decree Reform tracking). The platform uses ArcGIS for geospatial services, Coplogic for crime reporting, YouTube for video content, and integrates with the Chicago Data Portal for open data access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Office of Equity & Engagement (OEE): A dedicated unit within CPD focused on embedding equity into policies, training, and strategies to ensure fair and impartial policing practices
• Public Transportation Section
• Office of Victim Services

Products and services

• Online Crime Reporting Digital portal for citizens to file immediate crime reports for incidents where they are the victim, powered by the Coplogic DORS platform.
• Traffic Crash Reports Online system for purchasing traffic crash reports ($6.00 per report; $1.50 for amended reports) and accessing driver information exchange for crashes reported within the past two weeks.
• Adult Arrest Search Public online database allowing citizens to search and view adult arrest records in conjunction with the Mayor's office.
• Sex Offender Database Search Public search tool for locating registered sex offenders, including options for tracking homeless sex offenders.
• Gun Offender Database Search Public database search tool for identifying gun offenders within Chicago.
• Vehicle Tow/Steal Search Online tool for locating towed or stolen vehicles via publicsearch2.chicagopolice.org.
• Submit a Tip Anonymous tip submission system allowing citizens to report crimes or suspicious activity, including photos/videos, with potential rewards up to $1,000 through Cook County Crime Stoppers. Tips can also be texted anonymously via CPDTip to 738477.
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests Illinois FOIA request system for accessing public police records, with online submission, mail, fax, and in-person options.
• Find Your District Interactive ArcGIS-based map and address search tool for locating police districts and beats across Chicago's 22 districts.
• Bicycle Registration Online bike registration system to help recover lost or stolen bicycles.
• Office of Victim Services Citywide supportive services for victims of non-fatal gun crimes, domestic violence, and gender-based violence, including advocacy, referrals, crisis support, and safety planning.
• Domestic Violence Services Comprehensive domestic violence response including victim specialists, safety planning, court advocacy, and 24/7 hotline (1-877-TO-END-DV).
• LGBTQ+ Liaison Program Dedicated liaison officers providing victim advocacy, empathetic contact, court advocacy, and community partnerships for LGBTQ+ communities.
• Language Access Services Comprehensive language access plan with interpreters, translated materials, and I-Speak cards in Arabic, Chinese, Polish, Spanish, and other languages.
• ADA Services Accessibility services for individuals with disabilities including sign language interpreters, ADA compliance officer coordination, and policy development.
• Gun Turn-In Program Community program allowing anonymous gun surrender to reduce firearms in circulation.
• Community Academy Program Educational program fostering understanding between CPD and community members through structured engagement and learning.
• Block Club Registration Online registration system for community block clubs including vertical, walking, garden, and virtual club types.
• Data & Statistics Dashboard Public dashboards and statistical reports including hate crimes data, annual reports, and Independent Monitor Report (IMR) status reports.
• Missing Persons Alerts Public alerts and database for missing persons including juveniles and endangered adults, with case numbers and contact information.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved 95% compliance in monitorable consent decree paragraphs during IMR-13
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United States Marshals ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026CPD partnered with USMS for Operation Safe Return Chicago (May 14-24, 2026), a joint mission to locate high-risk missing juveniles. The Youth and Special Victims Support Division worked with USMS to fan out across Chicago, resulting in 30 missing juveniles being safely located.
• ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026CPD collaborated with ATF Chicago field division along with CPD's Retail Theft Task Force and multiple district tactical teams to arrest two convicted felons and recover nine firearms and nearly $300K in cash in an investigation into stolen items from burglaries.
• Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for the Public Transportation Section to conduct tactical operations on CTA property including platform checks, train patrols, and station safety missions. CTA provides the infrastructure and access for CPD officers to operate within the transit system.
• Cook County State's Attorney's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for prosecution of criminal cases. The relationship has experienced tension due to the Cook County State's Attorney disqualifying 254 officers from testifying in criminal cases amid the ongoing discipline arbitration dispute.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Philadelphia Police Department: A large Northeastern municipal police force under a federal consent decree with overlapping reform focus areas (use of force, accountability, community trust). The comparable consent decree context makes it especially relevant for benchmarking.
• Baltimore Police Department: Operates under an active federal consent decree with focus areas directly mirroring CPD's (use of force, training, accountability, community engagement). The close reform context makes this a highly relevant comparable.
• Houston Police Department: A major Sunbelt municipal police force with comparable force size and operational scope. Comparable in district-based patrol and community policing approaches.
• Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC): An urban police force operating under federal consent decree oversight with comparable community trust and accountability challenges. Similar scale of jurisdiction and similar reform program scope to CPD.
• New York City Police Department (NYPD): The largest municipal police force in the United States, serving NYC with comparable operational breadth across patrol, community engagement, and digital services. This is the most direct functional comparable to CPD given the urban policing scale and complexity.
• Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD): Third-largest U.S. municipal police force with comparable scale and a parallel federal consent decree reform history. LAPD's experience with post-consent-decree operational normalcy provides a useful precedent for CPD's reform trajectory.

Regional players

• Cook County Sheriff's Office: Operates in the same Chicago metropolitan area but with countywide jurisdiction covering unincorporated areas and corrections. Provides a regional peer perspective on the Cook County law enforcement ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Illinois State Police: Statewide law enforcement agency operating in parallel and jointly with CPD on investigations and task forces. Broader geographic scope but overlapping investigative and patrol capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Chicago_Police
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLni-cuMjWzIBGDGQoIuUao76AQjXOLk0K
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChicagoPoliceDepartment
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicagopolicedepartment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Police Department