Mayor Johnson touts falling crime rates amid discussions over how to handle teen takeovers

CHICAGO — The number of homicides, shootings and violent crimes in the city is falling, according to the latest data from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s public safety team.

During a news conference on Tuesday morning, Mayor Johnson’s team shared a look at crime rates in the city, which have fallen consistently over the last year.

Violent crime in the city is currently down 24%, homicides are down 26% and shootings are down 32% compared to the same time last year, the data shows.

The city credited the falling crime rates in part to CPD bolstering its force with an additional 200 detectives over the last two years, which has increased the clearance rate, or the percentage of reported crimes that officers solve.

City officials credited the falling crime rates in part to CPD bolstering its force with an additional 200 detectives over the last two years, which has increased the clearance rate, or the percentage of reported crimes that officers solve.

Mayor Johnson has recently hosted a series of town halls around the city. On Friday he was in Rriver North and Streeterville, areas which have recently been at the center of teen takeovers, and many residents said they were worried about how the city is dealing with them.

“Look I’ve said from the very beginning, that the constitutionality around this discussion is something I have experienced my trepidation. And you know, again, we want to keep people safe, and in many instances, we’re able to avoid these occurrences from actually materializing,” the mayor said.

The City Council is preparing to look at a new curfew ordinance during Wednesday’s meeting. The mayor said while he is not a fan of the plan, many on the council are.

Visit the CPD website to view a full breakdown of the data from Chicago police.