Violent crime in Chicago continues to fall, homicides lowest in a decade, police data shows
CHICAGO - Violent crime in Chicago has continued to drop significantly so far this year, including homicides which are at the lowest level in a little over a decade, according to the latest police data.
The Chicago Police Department released the latest preliminary data for November on Wednesday.
By the numbers:
Through Nov. 30, Chicago has recorded 390 homicides this year, which is 28% lower compared to the same period in 2024 and the lowest number since 2014, CPD said.
The data point on homicides is of particular significance after Mayor Brandon Johnson at the end of last year touted falling crime numbers and said in 2025, the city could record fewer than 500 homicides for the first time in over a decade.
Overall, violent crime in Chicago is down 23% compared to last year. Robberies are down 35% year to date. Motor vehicle thefts are down 23% year to date and burglaries are down 20% year to date. Carjackings are down 48% compared to this time in 2024.
Transit crimes are also down 3% year to date.
It should be noted that violent crime has been significantly dropping in cities across the nation this year.
Big picture view:
The FBI’s latest data shows that reported violent crime nationwide is down a little over 8% between August 2024 and July 2025. More specifically, murders were down 17.5%, robbery was down 15.4%, rape was down 5.1% and aggravated assault down 6.7%.
Law enforcement agencies around the country voluntarily submit their data to the FBI, but they are not required to do so.
The number of mass killings in the U.S. is also at the lowest level in nearly two decades, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University. The managers of the database define a mass killing as incidents in which four or more people are killed in a 24-hour period, not including the killer.
Still, the likelihood of Chicago reaching a decade-low mark in homicides and other violent crimes will no doubt be a boon to Johnson. That's despite recent high-profile incidents like several teens being shot in the Loop after a tree lighting ceremony and the gruesome arson attack of a woman on a CTA train.
The former incident appears to have renewed calls for instituting a so-called "snap curfew" in areas where police learn of a planned large gathering of young people. The former has also prompted renewed scrutiny of the county's electronic monitoring program.