Chicago has been granted an extra three years to comply with sweeping court-ordered police reforms, extending the total to eight years. Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended the extension Friday, saying the previous timeframe was “unrealistic” for massive changes she expects will have a price tag of at least $50 million.
The city and the Illinois attorney general’s office agreed to the extension, which was approved Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert Dow. In addition to the eight years the city is now getting to comply with the reforms, the Chicago Police Department will have to maintain them for two more years. That means the city could be under the 2019 court order for a decade.
