By Amelia Anderson The Chicago Police Department, commonly known as CPD, is the municipal law-enforcement agency responsible for public safety within the City of Chicago, Illinois. Its duties include emergency response, neighbourhood patrol, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, crime prevention, community policing, victim assistance and specialized law-enforcement operations.
Residents should select the appropriate contact method according to the seriousness of the situation. Dial 911 when a crime is happening, someone is in immediate danger, a weapon is involved or urgent medical and police assistance is required. For non-emergency police matters within Chicago, residents can call 311. People calling from outside Chicago may use 312-746-6000.
Unlike some police departments that use geographic patrol divisions, Chicago primarily organizes local policing through 22 active police districts. Each district station handles calls, reports and community concerns within a defined part of the city.
Chicago Police Department Quick Information
| Information | Details |
| Official name | Chicago Police Department |
| Common abbreviation | CPD |
| Headquarters | Chicago Public Safety Headquarters |
| Headquarters address | 3510 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60653 |
| Emergency number | 911 |
| Non-emergency number within Chicago | 311 |
| Non-emergency number outside Chicago | 312-746-6000 |
| Records Services Division | 312-745-5508 |
| Number of active police districts | 22 |
| Primary county | Cook County |
| Additional county territory | A small part of Chicago at O’Hare extends into DuPage County |
| Area served | Locations within Chicago city limits |
| Police misconduct complaint line | 312-743-COPA |
| COPA main office number | 312-746-3609 |
| Cook County Jail information | 773-674-JAIL |
| District lookup service | CPD Find My District/Area |
CPD’s official contact information identifies 911 as the emergency number, 311 as the non-emergency contact within Chicago and 312-746-6000 as the non-emergency number for callers outside city limits.
Chicago Police Department Address and Headquarters
The Chicago Police Department’s principal administrative headquarters is located at: 3510 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60653
The headquarters building contains CPD administrative offices and the Records Services Division. Members of the public may also visit the Records Inquiry and Customer Service Section for certain police-report, criminal-history and records-related services.
The headquarters should not be treated as a replacement for a neighbourhood district station. A person who needs to file a local police report, speak with a district supervisor or obtain help concerning an incident in a particular neighbourhood may receive more direct assistance through the district responsible for the incident location.
Always call 911 rather than travelling to headquarters when someone is in danger or a crime is actively taking place.
Important Chicago Police Phone Numbers
Call 911 for emergencies such as:
- A crime currently in progress
- An immediate threat to a person or property
- Gunshots, weapons or serious violence
- A serious traffic collision involving injuries
- A person requiring urgent police or medical assistance
- A missing child or another time-sensitive danger
For non-emergency police assistance within Chicago, call 311. Appropriate situations may include reporting an incident that has already occurred, requesting police documentation, asking for assistance with a recurring neighbourhood problem or contacting the police when there is no immediate threat.
People outside Chicago who cannot connect through 311 may call 312-746-6000.
The Records Services Division can be contacted at 312-745-5508 for information about obtaining police reports, criminal-history records and other available documents. Callers should understand that complete police records generally cannot be released through a telephone conversation.
For information concerning a person held in the Cook County Jail, call 773-674-JAIL (5245). The jail is operated by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, not the Chicago Police Department.
Chicago Police Department Districts
Chicago has 22 active police districts. District numbers 13, 21 and 23 are not currently used as active district designations. Each district contains smaller sectors and police beats, which allow officers to patrol specific neighbourhood areas.
| Police district | Station address | Phone number |
| 1st District – Central | 1718 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60616 | 312-745-4290 |
| 2nd District – Wentworth | 5101 S. Wentworth Avenue, Chicago, IL 60609 | 312-747-8366 |
| 3rd District – Grand Crossing | 7040 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 | 312-747-8201 |
| 4th District – South Chicago | 2255 E. 103rd Street, Chicago, IL 60617 | 312-747-7581 |
| 5th District – Calumet | 727 E. 111th Street, Chicago, IL 60628 | 312-747-8210 |
| 6th District – Gresham | 7808 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60620 | 312-745-3610 |
| 7th District – Englewood | 1438 W. 63rd Street, Chicago, IL 60636 | 312-747-8220 |
| 8th District – Chicago Lawn | 3420 W. 63rd Street, Chicago, IL 60629 | 312-747-8730 |
| 9th District – Deering | 3120 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60608 | 312-747-8227 |
| 10th District – Ogden | 3315 W. Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60623 | 312-747-7511 |
| 11th District – Harrison | 3151 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60612 | 312-746-8386 |
| 12th District – Near West | 1412 S. Blue Island Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608 | 312-746-8396 |
| 14th District – Shakespeare | 2150 N. California Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647 | 312-744-8250 |
| 15th District – Austin | 5701 W. Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60644 | 312-743-1440 |
| 16th District – Jefferson Park | 5151 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60630 | 312-742-4480 |
| 17th District – Albany Park | 4650 N. Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60630 | 312-742-4410 |
| 18th District – Near North | 1160 N. Larrabee Street, Chicago, IL 60610 | 312-742-5870 |
| 19th District – Town Hall | 850 W. Addison Street, Chicago, IL 60613 | 312-744-8320 |
| 20th District – Lincoln | 5400 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625 | 312-742-8714 |
| 22nd District – Morgan Park | 1900 W. Monterey Avenue, Chicago, IL 60643 | 312-745-0710 |
| 24th District – Rogers Park | 6464 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60626 | 312-744-5907 |
| 25th District – Grand Central | 5555 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60639 | 312-746-8605 |
A person should not choose a district based only on the neighbourhood name or ZIP code. District boundaries can divide neighbourhoods and may not match postal boundaries. CPD provides an address-based Find My District/Area service that identifies the correct district from the exact street address.
The City of Chicago’s current crime-data information confirms that CPD operates 22 police districts, while CPD’s individual district pages publish each station’s address and telephone number.
Department Bureaus and Specialized Units
District stations are part of CPD’s broader organizational structure. Major operational sections include the Bureau of Patrol, Bureau of Detectives and Bureau of Internal Affairs. The department also maintains offices responsible for constitutional policing, reform, training, administration and community engagement.
Patrol officers normally provide the first police response. They handle emergency calls, prepare initial reports, protect crime scenes, interview witnesses and collect basic information. Cases requiring additional investigation may then be assigned to detectives or a specialized investigative unit.
Specialized CPD functions include homicide investigations, robbery investigations, organized crime enforcement, narcotics investigations, traffic operations, marine and helicopter services, canine teams, bomb and arson services, tactical teams, SWAT operations, forensic services, intelligence gathering and public-transportation policing.
Community policing is managed locally through district personnel and Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy, commonly called CAPS. CAPS offices work with residents, businesses, schools, block clubs and community organizations to identify recurring safety and quality-of-life concerns.
What County Is the Chicago Police Department In?
Chicago Police Headquarters is located in Cook County, and nearly all of Chicago is situated within Cook County. Chicago is also the county seat of Cook County.
A small portion of Chicago associated with O’Hare International Airport extends into DuPage County. CPD jurisdiction, however, is generally determined by Chicago city limits rather than the county line. Therefore, a Chicago location within the DuPage County portion of O’Hare can still fall under city police jurisdiction.
The Chicago Police Department and Cook County Sheriff’s Office are separate agencies. CPD provides municipal policing within Chicago. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office operates the county correctional system, provides courthouse security, serves certain legal documents and supplies police services in unincorporated parts of Cook County.
Someone arrested by Chicago police may eventually be transferred to the Cook County Department of Corrections, but that does not mean CPD operates the jail. The Cook County jail complex is located around 2700 South California Avenue.
Filing a Chicago Police Report
Call 911 when immediate police assistance is necessary. Do not use a non-emergency form or community portal when the offender is present, someone is injured, evidence may disappear or the incident is still happening.
For a non-emergency incident, residents can call 311 or visit a police district station. Callers outside Chicago can use 312-746-6000. The call taker may arrange for officers to respond, direct the caller to a district station or explain the appropriate reporting process.
CPD also operates an online Community Concerns system for recurring criminal activity, neighbourhood disorder and quality-of-life problems affecting the community. However, submitting a community concern does not result in immediate police dispatch and should not be treated as a substitute for filing an official police report.
After making a report, keep the RD number, also known as the Records Division number. It is CPD’s identifying number for the incident and is usually needed when obtaining a copy of the report, contacting investigators or providing documentation to an insurance company.
Obtaining Police and Traffic Crash Reports
Police case reports may be requested from the Records Inquiry and Customer Service Section at:
Chicago Police Department
Records Inquiry and Customer Service Section
3510 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60653
The Records Services Division can be contacted at 312-745-5508. Before visiting, confirm the current public-service hours and document requirements.
A requester should provide as much information as possible, including:
- RD number or traffic crash report number
- Date and approximate time of the incident
- Incident location
- Name of the victim or reporting person
- Type of incident
- Vehicle information when relevant
- Valid identification when required
Some reports are available through CPD’s online report-purchasing services. Other records may require an in-person or mailed request. Requests for complete investigative files, body-camera video, photographs or information that is not routinely released may have to be submitted under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
Reports can be edited or partially withheld to protect juveniles, victims, witnesses, medical information, personal identifying details and active investigations.
Complaints About Chicago Police Conduct
Complaints involving Chicago police officers may be submitted to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, commonly known as COPA. COPA is a civilian City of Chicago agency that operates independently from CPD when receiving and investigating allegations of police misconduct.
COPA can be contacted through its 24-hour complaint line at 312-743-COPA. Its main office is located at:
1615 West Chicago Avenue
4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60622
The main office number is 312-746-3609. Complaints may also be initiated online, through 311 or at a Chicago police district station.
Useful information includes the incident date, time and location, the officer’s name or star number, police vehicle numbers, witness information and any available photographs or video. A person should still report the complaint even when the officer’s identity is unknown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I file a police report at any Chicago district station?
A district station can provide assistance, but the station responsible for the location where the incident occurred may be able to handle the matter more directly. Call 311 or use CPD’s district lookup when you are uncertain. Always call 911 for an emergency.
Q. What should I do if I cannot remember my RD number?
Contact the Records Services Division or the district where the report was filed. Provide the incident date, location, reporting person’s name and type of incident. These details may help staff locate the correct record.
Q. Does submitting a Community Concern create an official police report?
Not necessarily. The Community Concerns system is intended for recurring criminal, disorder or quality-of-life issues affecting a neighbourhood. It does not immediately dispatch officers and should not replace 911, 311 or a formal police report.
Q. Can a visitor or tourist report a crime in Chicago?
Yes. A person does not need to be a Chicago resident to report a crime that occurred within the city. Visitors should provide their permanent contact information and keep the RD number before leaving Chicago.
Q. How can I find out whether my car was towed or reported stolen?
CPD provides a Find My Car service that allows users to search for vehicles that were towed, impounded or reported stolen. Search using the license-plate number or vehicle identification number. If the search identifies a stolen vehicle, call 911 and do not attempt to recover it personally.
Q. Does the Chicago Police Department operate the Cook County Jail?
No. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office operates the Cook County Department of Corrections. Individual-in-custody information should be requested through the Sheriff’s Office at 773-674-JAIL rather than CPD headquarters.
Q. Can I obtain body-camera footage with a regular police-report request?
Body-camera footage is generally different from a standard case report. A person may need to submit a Freedom of Information Act request describing the incident, date, location, RD number and involved officers. Release may be restricted or redacted because of privacy laws or an active investigation.
Q. What if a crime happened outside Chicago but I live in Chicago?
The police agency responsible for the place where the crime occurred will normally take the report. Contact that municipality’s police department, the appropriate county sheriff or the law-enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the incident location.
Q. How can I identify an officer when I do not know the officer’s name?
Provide the date, time, location, police vehicle number, officer description and any report or event number. An officer’s star number is especially helpful, but a complaint or records request can still be submitted without it.
Q. Should I call 311 for a dangerous situation that has already happened?
Call 911 when there is still a possible danger, an injured person, a weapon, a suspect nearby or evidence requiring immediate protection. Use 311 only when the incident is no longer urgent and there is no immediate threat.