Chicago's Crime Drop: What's Really Behind the Numbers?

Chicago is seeing fewer murders than it has in over half a century. In 2024, there were 587 murders, but last year that number dropped to 416. That's a big drop, nearly 30%. It's the lowest number since 1965. Other crimes like shootings, robberies, and assaults also went down. Shootings dropped by 35%, robberies by 36%, and assaults by 11%. But why is this happening? Some people say it's because of the money the city got from the government during the pandemic. This money went to groups that try to stop violence. But that money is running out this year. So, will the crime rates go back up? No one knows for sure. The mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, says the city needs more money to keep these programs going. He wants to get this money from the state government and from rich people in Illinois. But some people in the city government don't agree with him.President Trump has said that his policies are the reason crime is going down. He sent the National Guard to Chicago and started a big deportation campaign. But most of the people who were arrested didn't have any criminal record. And crime was going down before these policies started. Some people say that the mayor's approach to crime is working. He focuses on working with community groups and investing in things like affordable housing, mental health services, and programs for young people. But other people say that locking up more criminals is the only way to make the city safer. Even though crime is going down, some neighborhoods are still dealing with a lot of violence. Most of the murders happen in mostly Black and Brown communities. But even in these neighborhoods, people are starting to feel safer. One man who lives in one of these neighborhoods said that he remembers when there were over 900 murders a year when he was in high school. He said that things are getting better, but there's still a lot of work to do.