CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — In its latest crime report, the Chicago Police Department reported shootings and homicide are up this year compared to 2020.
However, other crimes are trending downward.
“Robberies are at an all-time low, burglaries are at an all-time low,” Police Supt. David Brown said.
Six districts in the city have also seen 20-year lows in motor vehicle thefts.
2021 marks the fifth consecutive year of reduction in robberies and burglaries, meaning it’s not necessarily tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
Brown explained it’s uncommon to see what he referred to as a “dichotomy” of crime.
“We have this divergence of crime in different directions with the same court systems, with the same catch and release policies, but we have a significant thing for criminologists to study,” Brown said.
So far this year, 3,766 people have been shot in Chicago, which is 323 more than this time last year.
Homicides are also up about 3% compared to 2020, with 678 reported year-to-date.
Even though violent crimes continue to climb, Brown said Chicago police have cleared more homicides this year than over a decade.
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