Daywatch: Cook County Board president’s security costs rise
Feb 03, 2026
Good morning, Chicago.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s security costs continue to rise, as she’s set to add a new vehicle this year for her seven-member team.
Preckwinkle’s executive protection detail is budgeted to cost up to $1.5 million in 2026 for the “salaries, benefits,
duty-related personnel expenses and other necessary non-personnel expenses of seven members,” according to Forest Preserves of Cook County documents. The district has handled her detail since 2019.
That’s up from $1.3 million in 2025. The 2026 budget included up to $130,000 to buy a new Ford Expedition to replace a 2019 model SUV in her seven-vehicle security fleet.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s A.D. Quig.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the Cook County state’s attorney’s office reviewing the legality of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s immigration executive order, this week’s Chicago basketball report and our theater critic reviews “Così fan tutte” by Lyric Opera.
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Students from four high schools rally at River Park against recent immigration enforcement actions under the administration of President Donald Trump, on Feb. 2, 2026, on Chicago’s North Side. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
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Anthony León, Ian Rucker and the company of "Così fan tutte" by Lyric Opera of Chicago. (Cory Weaver)
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