Afternoon Briefing: Johnson slow on push to put civilians in CPD jobs

Good afternoon, Chicago.

Mayor Brandon Johnson has made little progress hiring civilians to new administrative positions in the Chicago Police Department this year, leaving mostly unfulfilled his promise to move the cops now doing that work to the street to fight crime.

A year ago, the mayor earned plaudits from fiscal watchdogs and policing experts for pledging to create 398 civilian positions in his 2024 budget plan. It was part of a bid to shift desk duty roles away from sworn personnel, thereby freeing up them to do police work while cutting costs.

But as of this month, only 51 of those roles have been filled, according to the city’s budget office.

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

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Andrea Kersten, chief administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, addresses attendees at a Chicago Police Board meeting on April 18, 2024. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

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A pair of developers have proposed replacing a section of Church Street Plaza in Evanston with a 27-story skyscraper, pictured in this conceptual rendering. (Antunovich Associates)
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Ernest Dawkins, saxophonist and the founder/director of the annual Englewood Jazz Festival at Hamilton Park, which turns 25 this year. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
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Photos that show an AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are displayed during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Stephany Matat/AP)
Photos that show an AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are displayed during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library, Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Stephany Matat/AP)

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