Chicago is facing a police hiring crisis—and turning away capable adults who are ready to serve. Right now, unless you’re a military veteran, you must be under 40 to even apply for a job as a Chicago police officer. That cut-off disqualifies thousands of residents in their 40s and 50s who are physically fit, community-minded, and motivated to step up when the city needs them most.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

A new proposal would raise the maximum age for CPD applicants from 40 to 55. It’s already being attacked as “crazy,” but the truth is, it’s a smart, necessary step to modernize hiring. Chicago isn’t the only city struggling to recruit. But we can be one of the first to stop relying on outdated assumptions about who’s “too old” to serve.

Not every officer needs to be chasing suspects down alleys. There are dozens of roles where experience, maturity, and community trust matter just as much as physical speed—crowd safety, traffic control, neighborhood engagement, and non-violent response roles, just to name a few. Letting qualified adults over 40 apply doesn’t mean lowering standards. It means broadening the pool and giving people a fair chance to meet them.

We don’t ask teachers, nurses, or city planners to age out at 40. Why are we doing it to people who are fully capable and ready to serve?

Chicago needs officers. But it also needs people who know the city, who’ve raised families here, who’ve lived through its struggles and want to make a difference. This proposal won’t solve the staffing crisis alone—but it’s a real step in the right direction.

Add your name to support raising CPD’s age limit to 55—and let more qualified Chicagoans answer the call to serve.