Chicago City Wire

Christopher Gallo, Committeeman of Chicago's Second Ward, has expressed concerns over Mayor Brandon Johnson's decision to cancel police recruit classes. Gallo accused Johnson of endangering public safety by breaking his promise to protect the budget and leaving Chicago's neighborhoods vulnerable to rising crime. He shared these views with Chicago City Wire on October 14.

"Brandon Johnson is recklessly undermining public security by halting police recruit classes and breaking his promise to shield public safety from budget cuts," said Christopher "CJ" Gallo, Committteeman. "At a time when Chicago desperately needs more support to combat rising crime, Johnson is gutting the police force when we need it most. Instead of fulfilling his duty to protect residents, he's choosing budget cuts that weaken law enforcement, leaving neighborhoods vulnerable. Johnson's actions are beyond irresponsible—they're a betrayal of every Chicagoan who deserves safety."

According to the Illinois Policy Institute, Chicago experienced 29,677 violent crimes in 2024, marking the highest rate in five years. Robberies accounted for 35% of these crimes, aggravated batteries for 30%, and aggravated assaults for 27%. The report highlighted a 5.3% increase in aggravated assaults, which predominantly affected Black victims and often involved deadly force without contact. Arrests were made in only one out of six cases despite this being the second-highest arrest rate in five years. Assaults were most frequent at 5 p.m., particularly concentrated in the West and South sides, including Austin—Mayor Johnson's neighborhood—which recorded the most aggravated assaults.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the Chicago Police Department plans to delay new recruit classes for at least two months. This decision has drawn criticism as it appears to contradict Mayor Johnson's pledge to exempt public safety from a citywide hiring freeze. During an October 8 meeting, Chief Operating Officer John Roberson instructed departments to propose further personnel cuts to save $75 million for 2025. Facing a $223 million budget gap and a projected $982.4 million shortfall next year, Johnson may consider increasing property taxes. Police union allies have criticized the class cancellations, noting that the department is already short by 1,693 officers compared to 2019.

In December 2023, the Illinois Policy Institute reported that Mayor Johnson’s budget for 2024 would eliminate 833 street-cop vacancies without addressing police officer attrition or aggressively recruiting new candidates. While Johnson claimed increased police funding, any increases were largely attributed to salary hikes and overtime costs due to shortages. Over half of high-priority 911 calls went unanswered, and arrests declined. The institute noted that a significant majority of Black Chicagoans (77%) and all Chicagoans (80%) desire the same or increased police presence in their communities.

Gallo was first elected as Republican Committeeman of Chicago's Second Ward on March 19, 2024. In this role, he represents Republican voters within various party structures at city, county, and state levels. With nearly a decade of political experience working on campaigns for figures such as Governor Bruce Rauner and Congressman Bob Dold, Gallo currently works with Surus Illinois supporting Republican organizations across the state.