In an audio interview, Dave Glowacz spoke with Jonathan Silverstein, a former budget analyst with the city of Chicago's Council Office of Financial Analysis (COFA). Silverstein described his recent study, "The Real Cost of the Chicago Police Department."

In his study, Silverstein claims that that the real 2023 cost of the Chicago Police Dept. (CPD) will be $3.4 billion—75 percent more than the $1.9 billion that the city's 2023 budget allocates to the department.

In the standard version of the episode, Silverstein explained the city of Chicago’s unusual budgeting practice: Many costs attributable to police are left out of CPD’s budget allocation. The costs, Silverstein said, are instead hidden (in plain site) elsewhere in the city budget.

In the premium version of the episode, Silverstein described how other major cities handle their police budgeting, and why that points to best practices. He also told why Chicago's police budget scheme hurts residents and taxpayers.

Also in the premium version, Silverstein spoke of the city's persistent, if not mysterious, tendency to under-budget CPD's overtime costs.

Finally, Silverstein in the premium version told why he wrote the study now rather than when he was paid by COFA to dig into such matters—before he was fired.

A link to Silverstein's report follows the premium version of the audio.

Length 10.6 minutes standard, 33.4 minutes premium.

Music: Beethoven: "Piano Sonata nr.15 in D major op.28 'Pastoral' " performed by Karine Gilanyan

Standard audio:

Premium audio:

Document: "The Real Cost of the Chicago Police Department"