Prairie State Wire

Ted Dabrowski, former president of Wirepoints, emphasized the importance of providing police with the necessary tools to perform their duties effectively. He made these remarks while addressing the Italian American Police Association at a banquet in Harwood Heights on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

According to the Illinois Policy Institute, Chicago reduced its public safety workforce by 2,103 positions in 2024 amid a nearly $1 billion budget deficit. Concurrently, the city increased its administrative roles by 184 positions. The Institute described this as a misalignment of priorities during a fiscal emergency. The report argues that cutting frontline public safety staff while expanding administrative overhead undermines both efficiency and public trust, particularly as violent crime rates remain high.

Data from HeyJackass.com, an independent violence tracking blog, indicates that nine people were killed and 51 others wounded by gunfire during the 2025 Labor Day weekend in Chicago. This data covers incidents from Friday evening through early Tuesday morning and highlights a trend where holiday weekends see spikes in shootings across the city. Most incidents reportedly occurred on Chicago’s South and West Sides, with several multiple-victim shootings concentrated in gang-heavy areas.

Dabrowski is reportedly scheduled to announce his candidacy for governor of Illinois on Friday, September 12, 2025, at 10:15 a.m. Central time. The event will take place at a private residence in Wilmette, Illinois and will be streamed live on Facebook.com/TedForIllinois.

Dabrowski has over three decades of experience in international finance and domestic policy leadership. He spent 16 years in senior financial roles, including as Head of Corporate Banking at Citibank in Poland. There he advised the government on economic liberalization and managed multi-billion-dollar Treasury portfolios in Poland and Mexico. After returning to the U.S., Dabrowski became Vice President of Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute and later served as President of Wirepoints, focusing on Illinois’ economy and government. His research has been cited by national outlets such as The Wall Street Journal. Dabrowski holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, an MBA in finance from the Wharton School, and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech.