9/15/2025 – 12:51 CNT

Deep Dive Research Performed by Emily Ridyard & A.C.E – author and sociology research journalist

Chicago Intel Briefing: Bold Moves & Big City Buzz

Local Politics & Government

September 15th 12:13AM CNT

Chicago’s City Hall has been a whirlwind of change under Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Taking office in May 2023, Johnson has pushed a progressive agenda while grappling with old guard politics and new crises. In a historic flex, he issued the first mayoral veto in 19 years – blocking a City Council-passed “snap” curfew ordinance that would have let police impose 30-minute-notice citywide curfews on groups of 20+ people.

Johnson slammed the curfew plan (aimed at curbing violent teen “takeovers” downtown) as overbroad and possibly unconstitutional, and the Council narrowly sustained his veto.

This showdown underscored the tug-of-war between public safety hardliners and civil liberties advocates in city government.

City Council Dynamics: The new Council leans more progressive but is far from monolithic. Moderate Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) spearheaded the curfew push to crack down on flash-mob youth unrest, citing recent incidents where a tourist and a teen were shot amid large teen gatherings.

Progressive alderpersons, however, sided with the mayor’s veto, arguing investment in youth programs beats “knee-jerk” crackdowns.

Expect

continued City Hall drama as Johnson’s camp and more conservative voices wrangle over how to handle crime and crowds.

Police Union Showdown: Relations with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) are a high-wire act

In late 2023, Mayor Johnson struck a tentative deal with the FOP granting hefty pay raises—at least 16% over four years (5% hikes in 2024 and 2025 alone) plus a $2,500 bonus.

It’s the largest police raise package in recent Chicago history, adding over $200 million to the CPD budget.

But controversy erupted over a hidden gem the union won: a provision letting cops facing firing or 1-year suspensions appeal to a private arbitrator instead of the public Police Board.

Police reformers cried foul at this “backroom justice” maneuver. Johnson, sensing the public blowback, did an about-face – imploring the Council to reject that clause even though it was in the deal he negotiated.

In an unusual rebuke to the union, alderpersons did just that. By February 2024 the Council voted to strip out the secret arbitration plan (18–32 vote), preserving the long-standing practice of serious police misconduct cases being decided by the Police Board in open hearings.

FOP President John Catanzara (a brash Trump-aligned figure) blasted the move, but Johnson proclaimed it vital “to restore…trust” through transparency.

The rest of the police contract – including those raises – sailed through, but a court fight looms as the FOP challenges the discipline changes.

Tensions between the reform-minded administration and the police union remain palpable, even as both sides try to claim victory (higher pay and accountability).

Public Pressures & Policy Moves:

Mayor Johnson’s progressive base and Chicago’s neighborhoods are keeping the heat on City Hall. Community groups are pushing for solutions to homelessness and mental health investment, while business leaders watch nervously how Johnson will handle the next budget. A major flashpoint has been the influx of migrants arriving from the US–Mexico border. Texas’ governor has been sending busloads of asylum-seekers to Chicago, a sanctuary city, straining shelters and services. Johnson has responded with plans for temporary “base camp” tent shelters to house migrants – but not without fierce pushback. For example, in late 2023 hundreds of residents in Brighton Park marched daily to protest a tent camp in their neighborhood, furious about a lack of consultation and the $93,000/month leasing cost . “Our mayor and alderwoman sold us out…all of a sudden they come in doing construction,” one resident fumed as protesters plastered signs on the local alderman’s office.

The outcry was so relentless that the state ultimately nixed the Brighton Park tent plan over environmental and safety concerns. S

Similar community protests have flared on the South Side and Northwest Side, where neighbors insist Chicagoans in need should be helped before new migrants.

City Hall has walked a tightrope: affirming Chicago’s welcoming-city values while scrambling to decompress police station lobbies crowded with 2,500+ migrants sleeping on floors.

This saga has become a major political test for Johnson – balancing compassion, public resources, and neighborhood tensions.

Federal Influence – Trump-Era Echoes in Chicago

Donald Trump may be 700 miles away, but his shadow looms large over Chicago. In fact, as of late 2025 Trump’s policies have leapt from rhetoric to reality on Chicago streets.

The Trump administration (v2.0) has zeroed in on the Windy City as a poster child in its law-and-order crusade.

President Trump spent weeks ranting about “out-of-control” Chicago and threatening to deploy federal forces – and he’s following through.

Homeland Security’s “border czar” Tom Homan explicitly warned Chicago to “get out of the way, because we’re going to do it” . S

Sure enough, late this summer the White House ordered a surge of ICE agents and even National Guard troops into Chicago, supposedly to crack down on crime and undocumented immigrants . The move is unprecedented – essentially a federally led “takeover” of a sanctuary city’s policing, and it has Chicago leaders livid.

City Hall vs. the Feds: Mayor Brandon Johnson wasted no time drawing a line in the sand. “No federal troops in the city of Chicago! No militarized force in Chicago!” he led a chant at a Labor Day rally downtown.

In a defiant executive order, Johnson directed Chicago police NOT to cooperate with any Trump immigration raids.

CPD is barred from assisting with civil immigration enforcement – no helping ICE with roundups, traffic stops, or checkpoints on Chicago’s watch.

He even forbid his officers from donning the face-covering masks that ICE agents use, pointedly to ensure no secret police tactics on Chicago soil.

When asked about taking orders from Washington, Johnson shot back, “I don’t take orders from the federal government”. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has backed him up, imploring “all to stand up” against Trump’s “military invasion” of Chicago.

Pritzker went on national TV to stress that there’s no legitimate emergency to justify troops in Chicago and vowed to do “everything I can to stop him” .

This unified front from City Hall and Springfield signals that Chicago will fight any federal overreach in court and in the court of public opinion.

Political Theater or Public Safety?

The irony is rich: Chicago’s crime is actually on a downtrend (more on that below), yet Trump paints it as a hellscape “killing field” to score political points.

Local officials see the crackdown as pure political retaliation – punishment of a Democratic stronghold to rally Trump’s base.

Mayor Johnson accused Trump of “behaving outside the bounds of the Constitution” and using Chicago as a punching bag to advance an anti-immigrant agenda.

Federal spokespeople insist it’s about “cracking down on crime,” but the data and timing are questionable.

Chicago’s leaders are essentially nullifying federal orders within city limits, harkening back to the sanctuary city stance that put them at odds with Trump in the first place.

This sets up a potential constitutional clash between federal authority and local autonomy.

All eyes are on how far Trump’s DOJ will go – and how much Chicago’s finest will resist cooperating.

On-the-Ground Tension: In immigrant neighborhoods, fear and anger are palpable. Just days into Trump’s “Operation” in the Chicago area, a tragic flashpoint occurred: ICE agents shot and killed a 38-year-old Mexican national during a traffic stop in suburban Franklin Park.

Federal officials claim the man tried to flee and hit an officer with his car, prompting an agent to open fire.

Video from bystanders only captured the aftermath – agents smashing the car window and dragging out the wounded driver. The man died, leaving his family and community in shock. This incident poured gasoline on the fire. U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García and others rushed to the scene that night, demanding a federal investigation and decrying the needless escalation.I

Immigrant rights groups are mobilizing “know your rights” campaigns and rapid-response networks to monitor ICE activity.

Meanwhile, pro-Trump voices (including some local police union folks) applaud the feds for “taking the gloves off” in Chicago.

The city is effectively a battleground in the larger war over immigration and urban crime, with Trump-aligned law enforcement on one side and Chicago’s home-grown officials and activists on the other.

Rallies and Pushback: Chicagoans haven’t taken this lying down. On Labor Day, hundreds of protesters hit the streets in the West Loop for a rally pointedly dubbed “Workers Over Billionaires: A Day of Action.”

It doubled as an anti-Trump protest, featuring union leaders, community organizers, and Mayor Johnson himself  . The crowd, many of them city workers and activists, hoisted signs reading “No troops in Chicago” and “Democracy Doesn’t Save Itself”.

Johnson fired up the chants, pledging to “defend our democracy” and accusing Trump of trying to “break the Constitution” in Chicago . Even labor unions (including Johnson’s own Chicago Teachers Union allies) tied their cause to resisting federal authoritarian moves. In a city with a long memory of 1968 convention clashes and civil rights protests, the message was clear: Feds, stay in your lane, Chicago’s got this.

Crime, Violence & Public Safety

Chicago’s streets still face challenges, but here’s a twist: violent crime is trending down sharply, even as headlines often suggest chaos. By mid-2025, the city saw its fewest murders in decades – a reality that undercuts the “crime wave” narrative and offers a glimmer of hope. Homicides Plunge: After a grim spike during the pandemic years, Chicago’s homicide rate is on a sustained decline.

The summer of 2025 recorded 123 murders in June–July–August, the lowest summer total since 1965. This is all directly tied to the unity of so many diverse angry Americans. Insighting, “Americans United: A movement on merged views, and a narrow focus on the dismantling of Donald Trump, other countries protested against Donald Trump too. Some waving signs, “Free Americans, ya c*nt-”

In fact, overall violent crime is near its lowest point in over 40 years.

Through the first half of 2025, homicides were down a whopping 33% from the prior year (192 killings Jan–June 2025, vs. 289 in that period in 2024)  . Shootings citywide dropped about 39% in the same span . If this pace holds, Chicago could finish 2025 with under 500 homicides – a milestone not seen since before 2020’s surge. Chicagoans claim their peaceful protests being the likely reason.

Police and community leaders cautiously celebrate this as real progress.

One local police district councilor noted, “If the numbers show crime is down, there’s no need to bring the National Guard here”  – a pointed reference to federal saber-rattling.

What’s Working?: City officials credit a mix of strategies for the downturn. CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling, installed by Mayor Johnson, has reorganized detective units and focused on getting illegal guns off the street (24,000 guns seized since Johnson took office, per City Hall ).

At the same time, Johnson’s team has beefed up “community violence interruption” – funding ex-offender outreach workers to mediate gang conflicts and prevent retaliatory shootings.

The administration is also talking up youth investment – from summer jobs to recreation programs – aiming to tackle root causes.

Meanwhile, experts say post-pandemic normalcy is itself helping: schools open, teens in programs, and officers no longer stretched to extremes.

Even the racial gap in safety has narrowed slightly: murders of Black Chicagoans are down since 2021, though inequity persists .

Robberies & Carjackings: Not long ago, armed robberies and carjackings were spiking, making citywide news and scaring neighborhoods from downtown to outlying wards. That trend has dramatically reversed. A three-year robbery surge that peaked in mid-2023 has ended – robbery reports have plummeted, and the first quarter of 2025 saw the fewest robberies of any quarter in decades. (In August 2023 we endured over 1,200 robberies; by early 2025, monthly totals were down double-digits year-on-year .)

Similarly, carjackings – which terrorized drivers in 2020–22 – are down more than 50% this year.

Police credit a dedicated Robbery Task Force launched in May 2024 for busting prolific stick-up crews and getting repeat offenders off the street  . Just recently, task force officers caught a trio of suspects 20 minutes after a gunpoint robbery spree in Logan Square.

The department touts these as “force multipliers”, though some skeptics note many robberies simply eased as the economy reopened and people grew more vigilant.

Regardless, the data shows Chicago’s pandemic-era surge in street crime has eased up for now.

Not Out of the Woods: Let’s be real – Chicago still faces daily violence, and residents remain on edge in many areas.

Any given weekend can see 20 or more people shot. (Example: one recent weekend tallied 19 shooting victims, 2 fatalities .)

While murders are down from historic highs, the city will still log around 500 homicides this year – a toll that far exceeds Los Angeles or NYC.

And some crimes have increased compared to a few years back: for instance, thefts (especially shoplifting and car theft) rose during the COVID era and haven’t fully receded.

CPD data show misdemeanor thefts are up 67% since 2021, reflecting surges in retail theft that have hit local businesses hard.

High-profile “flash rob” incidents at luxury stores and convenience shops alike have kept the public wary.

The city has responded with targeted stings on stolen goods markets and by working with retailers on preventive tech (some stores have even installed one-way security doors and GPS trackers in merchandise).

Public perception of crime often lags behind the numbers – a fact not lost on politicians. Trump calling Chicago an anarchic “killing field” rings hollow against the stats, yet many residents still don’t feel much safer when hearing nightly news of freeway shootings or carjacking attempts caught on video.

Chicago’s challenge is to turn the recent improvement into sustained, long-term safety gains that people can genuinely feel in their day-to-day lives. For now, the trendlines are encouraging, but the work is far from finished.

Curfews & “Teen Takeovers”: A unique public safety subplot in Chicago has been the so-called “teen takeover” phenomenon – large gatherings of youth downtown organized via social media, sometimes devolving into fights, vandalism, or worse. In spring 2023 and again in 2024, viral videos showed hundreds of teenagers swarming Michigan Avenue and other hotspots, with sporadic violence that included a 15-year-old boy being shot during one meetup.

These incidents fueled intense debate on how to respond. Mayor Lightfoot had earlier adjusted curfew laws (banning unaccompanied minors downtown after 10 p.m.), and under Mayor Johnson the Council went for the more drastic snap curfew tool (vetoed, as noted above).

Police have tried creative tactics: in one Streeterville episode, CPD flooded the zone with blue lights and strategically blocked streets to break up caravanning youths.

Community organizations like GoodKids MadCity advocate non-police solutions – deploying youth “peacekeepers” and offering positive activities as alternatives.

Johnson leans that way too, musing that “maybe we give them jobs…so they don’t feel like they have to plan takeovers to have fun”.

The jury’s out on what approach will tame these flash mobs. This past summer saw fewer large-scale incidents after the curfew veto, but isolated problems persist. The city is betting that prevention beats punishment – yet ready to pivot if a really chaotic night erupts. It’s a delicate balance between keeping downtown open and safe for all and not alienating Chicago’s youth.

Surveillance & Aircraft Activity

In the quest for safety, Chicago is eyeing the skies. Surveillance technology is expanding, but not without questions.

The Chicago Police Department has begun deploying drones (“eyes in the sky”) as new tools – though interestingly, CPD has been behind the curve compared to other big cities.

As of late 2024, CPD owned just 5 drones with 3 trained pilots, having only purchased its first drones the year prior . (By contrast, Illinois State Police have 75, and NYPD has 55+ drones .)

Those CPD drones have been used mainly for surveillance at major events – think Lollapalooza, the Pride Parade, the 2024 DNC – rather than everyday patrols . Police leaders call drones a “game-changer” and are now playing catch-up to integrate them more widely.

Eyes in the Sky: In fall 2024, a CPD sergeant outlined a bold vision to the City Council: a future with drone “hives” on every police station roof, ready to deploy to 911 calls in under two minutes.

Upon a call, a drone could zip out to the location and live-stream footage to officers en route, giving them instant intel on dangers or suspects.

This, proponents say, would be revolutionary for officer safety and efficiency – “a force multiplier…cover more area than any patrol car, with nobody getting injured,” as the sergeant told aldermen . He even cited stats claiming drones have led to 50% fewer use-of-force incidents elsewhere  by de-escalating situations with better intel.

The enthusiasm is real, but so are the privacy and oversight concerns. Chicago has a stringent city ordinance (and an Illinois law) limiting drone surveillance of civilians except in specific circumstances (e.g. emergencies or with warrants), born from worries about constant surveillance or abuse of the tech.

Any plan to station drones across all 22 districts will require funding and likely robust public engagement to address civil liberties.

Still, the trend is clear: CPD is ramping up its tech game, determined not to let Chicago lag in the era of policing by air.

Quiet Skies? Not Exactly: Long before drones, Chicago has used police helicopters as its go-to airborne asset.

Lately, residents in various neighborhoods have noticed (and bemoaned) an uptick in chopper activity. On community forums, it’s become a running joke: “Anyone know why there’s a helicopter hovering at 11 PM?” Posts from Pilsen, Logan Square, and beyond describe low-flying, loud helicopters at night that rattle windows and nerves .

Police say the “air support” is dispatched for serious incidents – searching for armed suspects, managing large gatherings, or monitoring street racing “sideshow” car meets.

But to locals trying to sleep, it often feels like overkill. One Pilsen resident vented on Facebook that helicopters “fly so low over our buildings…and they are so loud!”.

The times and locations of these flights vary: late-night circles over the West Side after reports of shots fired; or during downtown summer events (fireworks nights, etc.) to survey crowds. In summer 2025, CPD even brought in a state police plane with infrared cameras to help track a serial expressway shooter at night – essentially doing high-tech overhead stakeouts.

While effective, these moves tiptoe around community tolerance. City officials have to balance the benefits of aerial surveillance (quick pursuit, officer safety) with the public’s right to peace and privacy.

With drones likely to multiply, Chicago may need to set clear rules for when and how “eyes in the sky” are deployed.

For now, if you hear that whirlybird above, it probably means something serious is going down nearby – or that CPD is keeping an eye out from above to deter trouble.

Other Surveillance Tools: Chicago’s network of POD cameras (those blue-light police cameras on street poles) continues to grow, feeding into the OEMC’s nerve center. ShotSpotter gunshot detectors remain in use, alerting police to firearm discharges, though their accuracy and cost effectiveness spark periodic debate at City Hall.

The city also quietly inked a deal to use license plate readers on Aexpressways and busy streets, helping CPD track carjackers or robbery crews by flagging hot plates – a tactic that, for example, recently helped bust a crew of daytime robbers responsible for terrorizing the North Side.

Privacy watchdogs keep a close eye on these expansions, especially after learning CPD purchased drones in secret in 2020 using off-budget funds.

Transparency is improving (the city now reports drone use as required by state law), but the push-and-pull between tech-driven policing and privacy will only intensify as new tools come online.

In short, Chicago is entering a new era of surveillance, determined not to be left behind – but keenly aware that in the City of Big Shoulders, everyone is watching who’s watching them.

Protests, Civic Unrest & Activism

From the streets of downtown to the neighborhoods, Chicago’s activist heartbeat is as strong as ever – and recent events have kept people fired up. Here’s a rundown of the major waves of protest and civic action in the city:

DNC 2024 Protests: In August 2024, Chicago hosted the Democratic National Convention, a high-profile event that drew not only delegates but demonstrators. Given the backdrop of an escalating conflict in the Middle East at that time, pro-Palestinian protests erupted outside the convention.

On multiple nights, large groups marched and rallied near the United Center and downtown; one clash between police and protesters led to 56 arrests in a single evening.

In total, Chicago police reported around 72–74 protest-related arrests over the four-day convention   – mostly for ordinance violations like blocking streets or breaching security perimeters.

Notably, among those detained were at least three journalists, leading to an outcry over press freedom and an eventual apology from city officials.

The National Lawyers Guild slammed the CPD’s “mass arrest” tactics as a throwback to old bad habits , while the city insists most protests were peaceful and that it had to enforce safety around the DNC.

The convention ended without any major violence, but the heavy police presence (Chicago deployed thousands of officers and even received federal security assistance) and those mass arrests became a rallying point for activists afterward. The city’s own law department is still dealing with the legal fallout, as many of those arrested fight the charges – a WBEZ investigation found that about half the DNC protest cases have already been dismissed .

In Chicago’s long protest history, DNC 2024 didn’t reach 1968-level chaos by any means, but it showed that civil disobedience is alive and well – and that Chicago police are still learning how to balance First Amendment rights with order.

Justice for Police Shootings: Chicago’s ongoing struggle with police accountability continues to spur demonstrations.

One flashpoint was the Dexter Reed case – in March 2024, Reed was shot dead by Chicago officers after a West Side traffic stop turned into an alleged gunfight (officers claimed Reed fired first).

When, later, prosecutors announced no charges against the cops, outrage ensued. Activists held rallies demanding the firing of the officers involved, especially after it came out that officers had unloaded 96 shots in 41 seconds during the incident.

After bodycam footage was released, protesters even briefly blocked an intersection in East Garfield Park, leading to scuffles in which two people were injured. Similarly, the police killing of a young man named Najee Seaberry during a mental health crisis call prompted the #JusticeForNajee campaign, with family-led marches calling for better de-escalation training. C

hicago, of course, has a tragic lineage of such cases (Laquan McDonald’s name is still invoked at protests citywide).

The Civilian Police Oversight councils that were elected in 2023 have joined protesters at times, amplifying demands for accountability and changes to use-of-force policy.

These sustained grass-roots pressures are part of why Mayor Johnson and the new Police Board have been relatively quick to fire officers for egregious misconduct and why the city remains under a federal consent decree to reform the CPD.

The message from the streets is clear: “Prosecute killer cops” or expect public unrest.

So far, Chicago’s approach under Johnson has been to listen and negotiate – he often meets with victims’ families – but the test will be if another high-profile incident occurs.

Migrant Shelter Backlash: As mentioned earlier, one of the most striking new phenomena has been community protests against migrant shelters.

These aren’t your traditional activist-led demonstrations – in many cases, they’re spontaneous neighborhood uprisings, often led by lifelong Chicago residents (of all backgrounds) who feel overwhelmed by the city’s handling of the migrant influx.

In the working-class Brighton Park area, we saw hundreds of residents (many of them Chinese American and Latino) marching with signs to protest a tent city for asylum-seekers  . They chanted for city officials to “find a better solution” and lambasted local Ald. Julia Ramirez for “selling out” the community without input.

Tensions ran high – at one point protesters filed a lawsuit to halt construction of the camp.

Across town in the Galewood neighborhood, a heated public meeting over converting a vacant school into a shelter saw shouting matches and outside agitators trying to stoke fears.

On the Far South Side, a plan to use a closed Kmart as a migrant respite center ignited similar ire, with residents staging a roadside protest waving American flags and demanding resources for homeless veterans instead.

This neighborhood-level unrest is something Chicago hasn’t seen in a while on this scale – reminiscent of past fights over public housing or school closings, but now centered on immigration.

City leaders, including many typically pro-immigrant progressives, have been caught off guard by the intensity. Some agitators, it must be said, have ties to far-right or nationalist groups pushing an anti-immigrant agenda; however, many protesters are everyday Chicagoans voicing genuine concerns about public safety, school overcrowding, and equity.

The city’s challenge is to address those concerns (through town halls, better communication, and state/federal aid) before frustration boils over. The coming winter will be pivotal, as Chicago tries to move migrants out of police station lobbies into better housing – any new shelter site will likely face “Not In My Backyard” demonstrations. Keep an eye on this dynamic as it evolves; it’s a new front in Chicago’s civic life.

Labor & Social Movements: Chicago is a union town, and 2023–25 continued that tradition of robust labor activism. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), fresh off helping elect one of their own (Brandon Johnson) as mayor, have been relatively quiet contract-wise, but its firebrand president Stacy Davis Gates made waves supporting other unions’ strikes.

When the national United Auto Workers strike hit the Chicago Ford Assembly Plant on the Far South Side, local solidarity rallies drew crowds outside the factory gates, with chants of “Eat the rich!” not far from Trump’s own high-rise.

Healthcare workers at Lurie Children’s Hospital staged an informational picket over staffing shortages. And let’s not forget the “Boot Brigade” – a quirky protest by Chicago’s rank-and-file police officers in late 2024 unhappy with work conditions; dozens of cops symbolically lined their boots up outside police HQ to protest extended shifts and canceling days off (a protest within the police, imagine that!).

On social issues, Chicago activists have held recurring protests for reproductive rights (especially after neighboring Indiana tightened abortion laws – Illinois became a refuge, and Chicago rallies demanded state funding for clinics). Gun violence prevention groups also led impactful events: for instance, the yearly Peace March down Michigan Avenue each Memorial Day weekend, organized by Father Pfleger and other leaders, drew hundreds praying for a summer with less bloodshed  .

These actions, though not confrontational, remind the city that behind the statistics are communities desperately seeking peace.

Spontaneous Outrage: Chicagoans will also turn out on short notice when tragedy or injustice strikes. We saw that when a video emerged of a white neighbor attacking a Black teen in Bridgeport – protesters quickly amassed outside the local police station to demand hate crime charges. Or when a beloved local street vendor was robbed and beaten, neighbors organized a rally (and raised funds for his recovery) to declare such violence unacceptable.

Chicago’s neighborhoods each have their own activist networks that can mobilize in hours via Facebook groups or WhatsApp chats – whether it’s to protest a sudden zoning change, a corrupt landlord, or an incident of racial bias at a school. It’s truly a city where the phrase “Hit the streets!” is taken to heart.

Bottom line: Civic activism is part of Chicago’s DNA, and recent events have only energized it. From anti-Trump resistance to hyper-local community fights, people are making their voices heard. The city, for its part, often accommodates peaceful protest – even closing downtown streets for marches – but will clamp down if things turn destructive (as seen in 2020’s unrest).

Going forward, with a contentious election year on the horizon and economic stresses still present, expect Chicago to remain loud but proud, voicing the concerns of the many and keeping leaders on their toes. As one activist wryly noted on a megaphone recently: “In Chicago, we don’t do quiet.”

Urban Operations & Major City Events

Chicago has been flexing its muscle in handling big events and urban challenges, showing both the muscle and coordination that a city of nearly 3 million demands. Here are key highlights of how the city has managed recent operations, infrastructure shake-ups, and safety exercises:

DNC 2024 – Security City: Hosting the Democratic National Convention in August 2024 was a massive security operation – Chicago’s biggest since the 2012 NATO Summit.

The downtown and Near West Side essentially went into hardening mode for a week. A multi-agency command center (involving CPD, State Police, Secret Service, and National Guard) coordinated everything from motorcade routes to air space restrictions.

The city deployed 3,700 police officers daily for the convention, alongside federal agents, creating a high-visibility presence especially around the United Center and the Loop.

Infrastructure disruptions were inevitable: portions of major arteries like Madison Street and Damen Avenue were closed; the CTA re-routed buses and temporarily shut down two ‘L’ stations near the convention site each evening as a precaution. To prepare, first responders drilled for months.

In one downtown exercise, police SWAT teams and fire rescue staged a mock attack on the Chicago River – complete with a simulated hostage scenario on a tour boat – to demonstrate crisis response to Homeland Security observers  

Hospitals like Rush University Medical Center held mass-casualty drills in case of a large-scale incident during DNC.

Thankfully, none was needed. The convention went off with no major security breaches, and Chicago earned praise for its planning.

The biggest disruption ended up being traffic (sorry, drivers) and the protest arrests noted earlier. City officials were proud that there were “no significant acts of violence” and that even the protest clashes were contained without spillover looting or property damage – a stark contrast to fears.

All told, the DNC put Chicago’s public safety systems to the test, and they largely passed. It was a showcase that Chicago can host global events in a post-2020 world and handle the heat.

Mexican Independence Day Caravans: Every mid-September, Chicago celebrates Mexican Independence Day – and in recent years that’s meant unsanctioned car caravans flooding downtown in a joyous but chaotic display of cultural pride.

We’re talking hundreds of vehicles bedecked with Mexican flags, cruising and honking into the night, folks hanging out of windows, sometimes popping fireworks from pickup beds.

It’s a sight – but also a logistical headache for the city.

In 2022 and 2023 these ad hoc celebrations brought parts of the Loop to a standstill.

Come 2024 and 2025, the city got proactive. Downtown aldermen Brian Hopkins (2nd) and Brendan Reilly (42nd) warned residents to brace for “unsanctioned takeover” traffic jams.

The Chicago Police, OEMC, and Streets & Sanitation rolled out a plan: they set up strategic street closures and vehicle checkpoints on key corridors to prevent caravans from overrunning the heart of downtown.

Residents in affected areas were issued special “access passes” allowing them through police lines to reach their homes even if streets were closed  .

For example, CPD blocked entry points to the Central Business District, only letting vehicles in at controlled spots like Halsted and Division or Roosevelt and Michigan for passholders.

This effectively created a perimeter to keep most cruising cars out.

The result in 2025: a bit of grumbling from would-be celebrants who felt penned out, but a much calmer downtown. The car parties instead stayed largely in neighborhood arteries (e.g. Little Village and along 26th Street, which was allowed and was an exuberant parade of its own).

Over that four-day weekend in 2024, CPD still made 69 arrests related to caravan antics (19 of those for gun possession by revelers)   – showing there was a real safety issue beneath the festivities.

By 2025, with official events like the “El Grito” festival canceled, police feared even bigger rogue caravans.

But their tough perimeter plan, while inconvenient, did mitigate the mayhem downtown.

Chicago’s learning that it can’t stop these cultural celebrations – so it’s managing them, trying to strike a balance between celebration and safety. It’s an evolving new tradition for the city authorities: annual September traffic control “war rooms” to handle the cruising crowds. Viva México, but do it responsibly, folks!

Emergency Drills & Preparedness: Chicago has been beefing up its crisis preparedness on all fronts. Active shooter drills have been conducted in realistic fashion – one notable exercise in late 2024 saw CPD and private security simulate a mass shooter scenario inside the Loop’s Chase Tower, complete with actors playing victims and simulated gunfire echoing through the lobby to test building lockdown procedures  .

Downtown office workers were alerted ahead of time to prevent panic, but some still got a jolt from the faux gunshots – a sign of how life-like these drills have become.

At O’Hare International Airport, the city staged a full-scale disaster exercise in spring 2025, transforming a runway area into a mock plane crash scene with over 100 volunteer “victims,” burning fuselage props, and a coordinated response by Chicago Fire, Police, EMS, and even the Coast Guard (since O’Hare is near water)  .

The FAA mandates such drills periodically, and officials reported this one “turned the airport into [a] disaster area” successfully to test multi-agency communication  .

Additionally, the city’s Office of Emergency Management (OEMC) has been partnering with local churches and community centers to run disaster preparedness workshops – covering everything from active shooter scenarios to extreme weather evacuations.

This outreach recognizes that in crises, civilians are the true first responders until professionals arrive. I

Infrastructure & Transit Ops:

Chicago’s infrastructure never sleeps. A few big developments: The city broke ground on the long-awaited Red Line Extension in 2024, a $3.6 billion project to extend the CTA train 5.6 miles south to 130th Street.

This has meant demolishing some vacant buildings for right-of-way – and interestingly, the Chicago Fire Department used a cluster of homes slated for demolition as training sites for firefighting drills, turning a construction prelude into a safety exercise.

Downtown, a major rehab of Lake Shore Drive’s bridges had lanes closed for months, testing commuters’ patience (and providing a backdrop for some creative traffic control experiments by CDOT). In technology, Chicago’s smart traffic signal pilot expanded, using AI to adjust light timings and help clear gridlock faster – it saw notable success around Kennedy Expressway detour routes during a construction crush. T

These operational tweaks aren’t glamorous, but they’ve kept the city’s vital systems running relatively smoothly amid constant upgrades.

Public Safety Initiatives: Chicago has launched seasonal operations to quell potential unrest. For instance, after some ugly “flash mob” shoplifting incidents on the Magnificent Mile in 2023, CPD conducted looting response drills and unveiled a Weekend Safety Plan with surging police presence in retail corridors.

This included cops on foot beats, K-9 units at mall entrances, and tactical teams on standby.

The city also proactively raised the bridges to restrict downtown access on a few nights where social media rumors foreshadowed youth riots (a tactic first used during the 2020 unrest, now part of the toolbox).

Another operation, “Safe Chicago”, has police, youth outreach workers, and community volunteers teaming up at beaches and parks on summer holiday weekends, defusing conflicts before they escalate.

Even the 911 center upgraded its protocols – for example, during citywide emergency alerts (like the June 2025 day when Canadian wildfire smoke turned our skies orange and triggered air quality alerts), OEMC coordinated a multi-agency response, pushing out text alerts and opening air-conditioned city facilities as respite centers.

It’s these kinds of cross-department operations that often go unnoticed but keep Chicago resilient.

Unusual Events: Not to be forgotten, Chicago in recent years has embraced some out-of-the-box events.

In summer 2023, the city hosted its first ever NASCAR Street Race downtown. Yes, real stock cars roaring down Columbus Drive!

Despite torrential rain cutting the main race short, the event was a proof of concept that Chicago can pull off a major sporting spectacle on city streets. It required an army of street closures, temporary fencing, grandstands, and months of planning. The aftermath: mixed – local businesses had a love/hate response (tourism boost vs. disrupted access), and the city is evaluating if NASCAR will return for the remaining contract years. Security wasn’t a major issue during the race, though the sight of NASCAR pit crews in Grant Park was surreal for many Chicagoans. On the flip side, Chicago bid farewell (at least temporarily) to another summer staple: the Air & Water Show was scaled down one year due to pandemic budget issues, but came roaring back in 2024 with the Blue Angels screaming overhead – reminding residents that sometimes increased “aircraft activity” is just an acrobatic spectacle, not surveillance!

The Long ^ the short below

In summary, Chicago’s urban ops reflect a city both proactive and reactive: anticipating large events with robust plans, and reacting to surprises with grit and coordination. The city that works – works hard at these operations. Whether it’s keeping protestors and dignitaries apart, preventing a caravan from becoming Carmageddon, or drilling so that police and firefighters know each other’s moves blindfolded, Chicago is constantly test-running its readiness. It doesn’t always get it perfect, but as recent successes show, the city’s playbook is growing thicker and smarter. In true Chicago fashion, when it comes to handling big challenges, we “make no little plans.”

Sources: Chicago.gov ; WBEZ ; WTTW ; Better Gov Association ; Guardian ; CBS News ; CWB Chicago ; ABC7 Chicago ; FOX32 ; Sun-Times .

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@emilyseatingtacos