Partial arrest API Access is restored via CPD online portal

Hello all,

Apologies for the delayed update as I got busy with work and a move. I wanted to let you all know that CPD and Mayor Lightfoot have restored much of the functionality that was in the arrest API. While the API is no more, many of the features have been moved over to an online portal that journalists and researchers can request access to.

However, the timing for this move - after the Chicago Reporter used the tool to expose inaccuracies in official CPD statements regarding arrests related to Black Lives Matter protects in Chicago is still under investigation. 

Additionally, some functionality is still missing from the portal. While these omissions may seem small, they are critical to providing a full picture of arrest data and police behavior. For more information on what is still missing, please read the attached article by Josh McGhee and Matt Chapman at the Chicago Reporter.

Open data is a hallmark of good government. Thank you for joining in this fight and I hope that you will continue pressing for transparency in municipal, state, and federal government.