Chicago Crime Statistics: Murders Down 14.2 Percent, Overall Crime Also Lower

Chicago's crime rate continued to decline in April, marking the 28th consecutive month that the Chicago Police Department reported a drop in violent crime.

Last year's homicide rate was the lowest it had been in Chicago since 1965. And according to crime numbers released by the Chicago Police Department Sunday, this year appears to be on track for an even lower homicide total.

There have been 17 fewer homicides this year so far than there were last year through the end of April, the CPD said in a press release, a 14.2 percent decline. Every category of violent crime saw a decline as compares to the numbers from a year ago: aggravated battery was down 17.8 percent, aggravated assault nearly that much, and robbery and sexual assault only slightly lower.

Property crimes were also lower, although motor vehicle theft jumped out of the numbers with a 20 percent increase.

Still, the violent crime rate and property crime rate were all lower in April.

Interim Superintendent Terry Hillard praised the officers on the force for the improvement. "It has been my duty since March to keep the Department moving forward and have the Department prepared to move successfully into the future with the new Superintendent," Hillard said in the press release.

"These crime reductions, particularly the reduction in homicide totals, are a testament to the hard work of the men and women of the Chicago Police Department and their focus on the task at hand during a period of change for the city and the department."

Comments

[BushBites]

03:46 AM on 05/11/2011

Rahm!

[gregcurts]

10:55 AM on 05/10/2011

Nice neighborhoods are getting better and bad ones are getting worse. Give it time to heat up the ones from the bad neighborhoods will start venturing out.

[ejhickey]

04:51 PM on 05/09/2011

Headline from the next story in this section of HP

"Women Stabbed During Mother's Day Cookout On South Side"

[AMlegion]

02:10 PM on 05/09/2011

I wonder if it has anything to do with the lifting of the hand gun ban

[Trickery]

11:52 AM on 05/09/2011

Even though it may seem the Chicago section constantly has murder stories and other unnecessary drama around the city, turns out, things are in fact taking a turn for the better.

[johnqpublik]

11:49 AM on 05/09/2011

That's excellent news. It's certainly on par with trends in the US as well. For whatever reason, there was a drastic increase in crime in the mid 60's which lasted throughout the 90's.

[Bude]

11:46 AM on 05/09/2011

But they went ahead and let the police chief go because his fellow officers didn't like him?