Chicago on Track for Safest Year Since 1965 as Homicides Drop 30%

Chicago is on pace to close out 2025 with fewer homicides than any year since 1965, according to city data that shows a dramatic 30 percent decline in killings compared to the same period last year.

Through late November, the city recorded 411 homicides—a stark contrast to the 588 recorded by the same date in 2024. If the trend holds through December, Chicago will have achieved its safest year in six decades, a milestone that city officials attribute to a combination of strategic policing, community intervention programs, and targeted investments in high-crime neighborhoods.

“This is not just about numbers on a page,” said Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling during a press briefing at CPD headquarters. “These are lives saved, families kept whole, and communities that are beginning to feel safe again.”

The decline extends far beyond homicides. Shootings have dropped by 35 percent, with 1,850 recorded incidents compared to more than 2,800 during the same period last year. Robberies fell by 35 percent, carjackings plummeted by 50 percent, and total violent crime victimizations decreased by 23 percent.

A Multi-Pronged Approach

City officials credit the improvement to a coordinated strategy that combines traditional law enforcement with community-based violence intervention programs. The Chicago Police Department removed more than 11,000 illegal guns from the streets in 2025, building on aggressive efforts to target illegal firearm trafficking.

Perhaps most significantly, the city’s lawsuit against Glock, Inc. yielded results when the gun manufacturer announced it would discontinue production of pistol models that can be easily converted into illegal machine guns. The so-called “Glock switches” have been a persistent problem in Chicago, turning standard semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons that can spray dozens of rounds in seconds.

“When a single modification can turn a handgun into a weapon of war, we have to act,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “This is what happens when we use every tool at our disposal.”

Community Violence Intervention programs, which employ former gang members and community leaders to mediate disputes before they turn deadly, have also played a significant role. The city invested $85 million in these programs in 2025, deploying hundreds of outreach workers in the neighborhoods that have historically seen the most bloodshed.

The South and West Sides See Biggest Gains

The most dramatic improvements have come in neighborhoods that have long struggled with entrenched violence. West Garfield Park, Englewood, and Austin—areas that have dominated crime statistics for decades—all saw homicides decline by more than 40 percent compared to 2024.

“For the first time in my 23 years on this block, I feel like I can sit on my porch without worrying about stray bullets,” said longtime West Garfield Park resident Dorothy Mitchell, 67. “Something is different this year. I don’t know if it’ll last, but right now, it feels like hope.”

Violence interrupters working in these neighborhoods say the change reflects years of relationship-building that is finally paying dividends. Credible messengers—individuals with their own histories of involvement in street life—have been able to reach young people in ways that traditional law enforcement cannot.

“These kids know I’ve been where they’ve been,” said Marcus Thompson, a violence interrupter working with the organization CURE Violence in Austin. “When I tell them there’s another way, they believe me because they know I lived it.”

Skeptics Urge Caution

Not everyone is ready to declare victory. Some criminologists note that crime statistics can fluctuate significantly from year to year and caution against attributing too much credit to any single policy or intervention.

“We’ve seen dips before that were followed by spikes,” said Northwestern University criminologist Wesley Skogan. “The real test will be whether these gains can be sustained over multiple years, not just one.”

Others point out that Chicago’s crime rates, while improved, still far exceed those of many peer cities. With more than 400 homicides projected for the year, Chicago remains one of the most violent major cities in the United States.

Republican critics have also been quick to note that the improvements come after years of elevated violence that they attribute to progressive criminal justice policies. State Representative Patrick Windhorst of Metropolis called the decline “a return to baseline, not a cause for celebration.”

Looking Ahead to 2026

Mayor Johnson, facing a contentious budget battle with the City Council, has used the crime statistics to bolster his case for continued investment in both policing and social programs.

“This proves that our approach works,” Johnson said. “When we invest in communities, when we give people opportunities and alternatives to violence, they choose a different path. We cannot go backwards now.”

The city’s 2026 budget proposal includes $50 million for additional violence intervention programs and funding for 200 new police officers to backfill retirements. Whether those investments survive the ongoing budget negotiations remains to be seen.

For now, residents in neighborhoods that have spent decades under siege from gun violence are cautiously optimistic that the tide may finally be turning.

“I buried three of my students last year,” said Patricia Washington, a teacher at Crane Medical Preparatory High School in the Near West Side. “This year, none. Maybe that’s coincidence, maybe it’s not. But I’ll take it.”