Chicago Murder Rate Drops to Lowest Point Since 1965
The rate of homicides in Chicago dropped in 2013, compared to a brutal 2012.
According to The New York Times, the third-largest U.S. city witnessed more than 500 killings in 2012, many of them gang-related shootings. As of December 30, 2013, Chicago had reported 413 homicides this year, a 17 percent drop from the same period in 2012 and the fewest murders in the city since 1965, city officials reported.
Shootings were also down by about 24 percent, and reports of overall crime have dropped by about 16 percent. However, Chicago’s death toll remains higher than those in New York and Los Angeles.
Garry McCarthy, the Chicago police superintendent, said, “We’re pleased, we’re not satisfied. It’s progress, not victory. We’ve put systems in place that are going to keep producing better results moving forward,” the article reports.
The city, already under significant budget pressure, spent $96 million this year on overtime for the police by the end of November, and about $75 million is budgeted for overtime in 2014.
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