Overview
- The inspector general reported that 1,027 workers may have received improper overtime between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2024.
- Nearly 80% of the questioned payments came from the Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Water Management, Police, and the Public Library.
- Eighteen employees accounted for more than $6.5 million of the total, with individual overtime payouts ranging roughly from $250,000 to $700,000.
- Inspector General Deborah Witzburg characterized the payouts as administrative errors rather than fraud, and the city’s HR and finance departments agreed to implement audits, training, and tighter coordination.
- The report arrives during a budget crunch, as Chicago Police Department overtime hit $238 million in 2024 against a $100 million budget and Mayor Brandon Johnson sought tighter controls on such spending.