Chicago City Wire

Chicago recorded its safest summer in decades, with the lowest number of homicides for June, July, and August since 1965, according to data from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) as reported by WBEZ. In summer 2025, there were 123 homicides, compared to previous years when numbers were much higher—244 in the summer of 1974, 228 in 1995, 242 in 2016, and 274 in 2021.

Mayor Brandon Johnson attributed this progress to ongoing efforts by city leadership and law enforcement. “While the numbers from this summer are encouraging, we are redoubling our efforts to continue to drive down violent crime,” said Johnson. “The historic progress we’ve seen this summer is proof that the progressive approach to community safety is working. Our goal is zero homicides, and we’re going to get there through constitutional policing and by continuing to invest in Chicagoans.”

CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling noted improvements within the Bureau of Detectives have helped raise the homicide clearance rate to 74%, marking its highest level in more than ten years. “The heroic men and women of the Chicago Police Department have worked to reduce violence and make every community safer throughout our city,” said Snelling. “While this reduction in crime is progress, we know there is more work to be done to prevent crime, as well as arrest and prosecute those responsible for violence in our city. As we work to restore a sense of safety for every Chicagoan, we will also continue to support the victims and families who have been traumatized by violence and continue to live with this trauma."

The decline follows coordinated actions between CPD and the Mayor’s Office for Community Safety under initiatives such as the People’s Plan for Community Safety. These measures aim at addressing root causes of crime through community-led strategies targeting individuals most affected by violence.

Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood highlighted collaboration among city agencies: "Our partnerships with CPD, Community Violence Intervention, community-based organizations, and City departments have played a pivotal role in driving down crime and violence.”

Comparing June through August of 2024 with the same period in 2025 shows decreases across several major categories: overall violent crime dropped by 23%, homicides fell by nearly half at -46.7%, shootings declined by -42.6%, robberies went down -33.7%, and vehicular hijackings decreased -45.6%.

WBEZ’s analysis found that while federal officials discussed sending additional agents or even deploying the National Guard due to concerns about violent crime rates in Chicago, city data revealed a sharp decrease during summer months not seen since before many current residents were born.

City officials credit improved police leadership under Superintendent Snelling alongside expanded investments into youth jobs programs, affordable housing initiatives, public education projects—and particularly increased involvement from ex-offenders mediating disputes through community-violence intervention efforts—for these results.

Criminologists point toward increased investment in jobs programs, infrastructure upgrades, and other social services since pandemic lows as key factors behind recent declines.

So far this year overall violent crime has fallen more than one-fifth compared with last year.