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Chicago Shootings, Homicides DROP Nearly 50% In August As City Changes Policing Strategy, Welcomes Feds
by Emily Zanotti, Daily Wire:
Chicago saw a marked decrease in the number of shootings and homicides in August, according to numbers released by the Chicago Police Department Tuesday, marking the first month since the end of the coronavirus-related lockdown where gun violence has actually ticked down.
A release, issued to local media Tuesday morning noted that “the Chicago Police Department saw a significant reduction in overall crime compared to the summer months before, including decreases in murders and shootings in some of Chicago’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.”
“Following increased flexibility and focus in staffing from two new citywide teams and thanks to ongoing partnerships with street outreach organizations, community-based organizations and community leaders, the month of August saw a 45% decrease in murders compared to the previous month, and a 35% decrease compared to the month of June,” the CPD said in the report.
“In fact,” it continued, “this month saw the lowest number of murders since April. Additionally, the number of shooting victims has dropped by 22% this month compared to July, and shooting incidents have declined by 15% compared to the previous month.”
The numbers, though, are still staggering, especially in comparison to 2019. According to Chicago’s ABC affiliate, “503 people were shot, 63 fatally in August 2020 compared to 268 shot, 49 fatally in August of 2019.”
Overall, murders are actually up 50% compared to last year. Overall crime numbers, though, the police department reports, are down and continue to trend downward. Even as the city has seen a spike in gun violence, its seen fewer other crimes — and that number stays low even when Chicago’s recent spate of looting is taken into consideration.
The city has seen “double-digit reductions in criminal complaints for theft and criminal sexual assault. Additionally, burglary, robbery, theft, and overall crime figures in Chicago remain at 20-year lows, looking at year-to-date figures,” ABC 7 Chicago reports.
Chicago’s police superintendent David Brown was quick to credit the police department for the declining figures, noting that CPD has changed its policing strategy significantly in recent weeks, following the deaths of several young children caught up in the crossfire between rival gangs battling on the city’s south and west sides.
