Chicago, often depicted as a city riddled with violence and murder, has reported a decline in homicides for the second consecutive year.
According to the Chicago Police Department, murders decreased 27 percent in 2018. There were about 557 murders reported last year, compared to 648 murders in 2017. One of the city’s bloodiest years, 2016, had 762 homicides.
While the decrease is significant, Chicago still reported more murders than New York City. The big apple had 283 murders from January 1 to Dec. 23.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson previously said the high crime spike was due in part to “emboldened offenders who acted without a fear of penalty from the criminal justice system”
The department also noted there was a decline in shootings, robberies, burglaries, car theft, and carjackings. The department did not specify if rapes were down.
Johnson attributes the significant decrease to more help from federal agents, better technology and a concentrated effort to build trust within the community.
“Are we where we want to be? Of course not,” he said to The Chicago Tribune. “I do think we are taking steps in the right direction.”
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