Chicago police officers have often been the immediate target of NATO protests, but the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police has its own act of defiance prior to Sunday's NATO summit. The union put up billboards stating, "Keep Chicago Safe: Hire More Police Officers." The message will also be on city buses and public transit stations.

The billboards come amid high-security NATO activities, and also a year for which the city homicide rate has thus far increased after years of decline.

The Sun-Times compared the billboards to a police union protest outside City Hall three years ago when Chicago was a candidate to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.