What's Going On In The Chi?
$87.9M Settlement Surge: A Reckoning with Police Misconduct and Systemic Injustice
Look, we know.
We’ve been deep in our Chi-Town bag over the last 24 hours — and that’s no accident. Chicago’s been at the center of a storm that’s about way more than local politics or budget line items. They’ve got a hellah lot going on that speaks to national patterns of injustice, negligence, and community resilience that Black folks from the South Side to the South Bronx need to be watching.
This ain’t just “Chicago news.”
This is our news.
From massive settlements tied to wrongful convictions and police brutality to systemic failures in emergency services, what’s happening in the Windy City is a case study in what happens when accountability is delayed, denied, and deflected. We’re talking about lives lost, decades stolen, and communities continually forced to pay — with their wallets and their well-being.
So yes, we’re staying on this beat.
Because when Black stories get brushed off as “local,” the harm gets buried and the lessons get lost.
And Kinfolk, we’re not letting that happen.
“I’m trying not to let the anger poison my soul.”
That’s what one of the two Black men who just spent 35 years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit told the press this week, as Chicago approved a $20 million settlement for each of them. But how do you put a price on lost decades, stolen dignity, or community trauma?
This week, the City of Chicago authorized $87.9 million in settlements — the latest payouts in what’s become a relentless financial hemorrhage tied to police misconduct, bureaucratic neglect, and policy failure. And once again, it’s the taxpayers footing the bill — especially the Black and Brown communities that have long borne the brunt of systemic harm.
The Faces Behind the Payouts
Let’s not let the headlines reduce these cases to dollar signs:
Two Black men, wrongfully convicted in a 1986 arson case, tortured into confessions by CPD, and locked away for 35 years. Their freedom is fresh, but their pain runs deep.
→ Settlement: $20M each.Brianna Keys, a Black woman in the midst of a mental health crisis, left to wander barefoot in winter after calls to 911 and 311 failed. She lost both legs to frostbite.
→ Settlement: $5M.Dozens of victims of disgraced CPD Sgt. Ronald Watts, whose corruption and false drug charges devastated communities in the Ida B. Wells projects.
→ Another $1.2M in payouts. Over 200 cases remain pending.A global private equity firm (yes, including investors from Abu Dhabi) leased Chicago’s parking meters under a now-infamous 75-year deal. Because COVID-era policy changes cut their profits, they’re getting...
→ Settlement: $15.5M.
Context is Everything: How We Got Here
Let’s be real: These aren’t just bad decisions or “tragic mistakes.” This is the price of a city choosing, for decades, to protect power over people.
Chicago has a documented history of police brutality and corruption — from Jon Burge’s torture ring in the '80s and '90s to the Watts scandal in the 2000s. The courts, city hall, and previous mayors looked away or buried the truth. Now, under Mayor Brandon Johnson, the city is being forced to confront what’s been ignored for too long.
Johnson is clear on who he thinks is to blame:
“We had brutality that existed. It was ignored. It was covered up.”
— Mayor Brandon Johnson, May 2025
But here’s the problem — while the mayor rightly acknowledges the sins of the past, our communities continue to live with the consequences right now. And we’re not just talking about settlements. We’re talking about a broken system that still hasn’t been dismantled.
The Cost to Us — and What’s Not Being Said
Chicago budgeted $82 million for legal settlements in 2025. Just five months in, that money is gone. Now we’re pushing triple that number. What happens when we need funding for violence prevention, housing, or mental health services and the coffers are empty?
The bigger question is this: How much longer are we going to keep paying for a system that refuses to change?
Ald. Ray Lopez said it loud at City Hall:
“We are not God’s piggy bank.”
But that’s exactly how this city treats its people — especially Black people — when it comes time to clean up institutional messes. Always the ones paying. Rarely the ones prioritized.
This Isn’t Just About Chicago
What’s happening here isn’t unique. From Baltimore to Los Angeles, cities across the U.S. are bleeding out billions in misconduct settlements, most tied to police violence against Black and Brown people. It’s a pattern, not a coincidence.
And it’s deeper than money. It’s about accountability. It’s about healing. It’s about justice not just being paid out, but practiced.
So, What Do We Do?
1. Know the names. Don’t let these stories get reduced to dollar figures. Learn about the cases. Share them. Keep the people — not just the payouts — at the center.
2. Demand transparency. Support civilian oversight boards. Push for public access to police misconduct records. Pressure your local reps to pass reforms with teeth.
3. Reimagine safety. Back community-led alternatives to policing. Invest in mental health response teams. Support restorative justice programs.
4. Vote accordingly. Local elections matter. Who you put in office affects how — and if — justice is served.
📢 Kinfolk, Let’s Keep It Real.
We can’t afford to get numb to these headlines. The pain is real. The history is heavy. But so is our power.
If we want to stop the cycle of payouts, we need to stop the violence that precedes them — not just on the street, but in the system.
🖤 Stand in truth. Fight for justice. Push forward — together.
Kin+ is where Black futures, history, and truth meet.
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We’re building something real — and we need each other.
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Sources Cited & Referenced
Spielman, Fran. “Taxpayers hit with another $87.9M in settlements backed by City Council.” May 21, 2025.
Ty, Chris. “City Council Approves Nearly $80 Million in Settlements.” May 21, 2025.
Myers, Heather Cherone. “Final Tally: Chicago Taxpayers Spent at Least $107.5M to Resolve Police Misconduct Lawsuits in 2024.” February 10, 2025.
Meador, R. L. Coverage on CPD misconduct, wrongful convictions, and Ronald Watts’ scandal.
Investigative reporting on police corruption and wrongful convictions in Chicago.
Cook County State’s Attorney Office Press Releases
Official announcements regarding exonerations and convictions tied to CPD misconduct.