Violent crime in Chicago plummets in first half of 2025, mayor says

CHICAGO (WGN) — Violent crime in Chicago is down significantly in the first half of the year, representing the steepest decline in more than a decade, according to Mayor Brandon Johnson.

“Homicides are down,” Johnson said Tuesday, concerning the latest Chicago Police Department statistics. Detailing Chicago’s 2025 drop in crime at his Community Safety Midyear Update, Johnson pointed to published reports, saying, “It’s the steepest statistical drop in recent memory, with fewer than 200 homicides in the first six months of the calendar year for the first time in more than a decade.”

Homicides are down 32.7%, according to Chicago Police, with shootings down 39.4%; robberies dropping 33.4%; and 40% fewer shooting victims so far this year. 

Chicago’s mayor says it’s a combination of factors that produced such results, beginning with a focus on the 35 most violent beats in the city.

“If we can drive violence down in the most violent neighborhoods in the city of Chicago, we can take that effort citywide,” Johnson said.

The mayor praised Chicago police commanders for effectively deploying resources, as well as community violence intervention efforts (CVI), which involve teams of street outreach workers to defuse trouble before it happens.

Notably, federal dollars from the Biden administration continue to support the outreach. The key challenge remains in sustaining such efforts.