Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth Signs Letter Advocating for Civillian-Led Parking Violation Response Model
Ald. Manaa-Hoppenworth has joined District Councilors and other alders in signing a letter encouraging the city to transition to a civillian-led response model for parking violations. By redirecting parking enforcement responsibilities to civilian agencies, such as the Department of Finance (DOF), the signees hope to ease the burden on CPD and increase City revenue through consistent and timely enforcement. Read the full letter below.
Superintendent Larry Snelling
Chicago Police Department
3510 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60653
Comptroller Michael Belsky
Department of Finance
121 North LaSalle Street, 7th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Director Frank Velez
Office of Emergency Management & Communications
1411 West Madison Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
Dear Superintendent Snelling, Comptroller Belsky, and Director Velez,
I write to express my strong support for the development and implementation of a civilian-led response model for parking violations in the City of Chicago.
Too often, sworn officers at the Chicago Police Department (CPD) are dispatched to non-emergency parking-related calls. Indeed, between 2022 and 2024, the Office of Inspector General’s dashboard reports nearly 300,000 parking-related 911 calls.1 These calls make up almost 8% of total 911 calls citywide, and in some police districts, these calls comprise as much as 10–15% of total call volume. This is a significant burden that typically is not the highest and best use of our sworn officers’ time.
Redirecting parking enforcement responsibilities to civilian agencies, such as the Department of Finance (DOF), would ease the burden on CPD. DOF already enforces parking violations, proving that this transition is both feasible and appropriate. By empowering DOF to hire additional Parking Enforcement Aides and equip them with improved communications tools, while retaining CPD authority over emergency and special event situations, we can create a smarter, more efficient enforcement model.
This initiative offers clear operational and community benefits. It would reduce response times, address more parking complaints, increase City revenue through consistent and timely enforcement, and serve as a model for alternative first-response strategies. Importantly, this proposal also aligns with the broader community efforts to rebuild trust in public safety by minimizing unnecessary law enforcement encounters for low-level infractions.
I urge the Chicago Police Department, the Department of Finance, and the Office of Emergency Management & Communications to continue giving serious consideration to expanding the City’s civilian capacity for parking enforcement.
Sincerely,
Jason Huff (008)
Al Cacciottolo (008)
Mark Hamberlin (008)
Maurilio Garcia (019)
Jenny Schaffer (019)
Sam Schoenburg (019)
Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th Ward)
Ald. Jeylu B. Gutierrez (14th Ward)
Ald. Stephanie D. Coleman (16th Ward)
Ald. Derrick Curtis (18th Ward)
Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd Ward)
Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd Ward)
Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th Ward)
Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th Ward)
Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd Ward)
Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th Ward)
Ald. Angela Clay (46th Ward)
Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward)
Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th Ward)