Chicago Murder Rates Down in 2017, But Still Shockingly High

CHICAGO, IL — In the first half of 2017, murder rates in the city were just as high as they were in 2016—the worst year for homicides in two decades. In the second half of this year, however, murder rates went down. The Chicago Police Department said the most noticeable difference was in neighborhoods like Englewood, where shootings have dropped significantly.

Superintendent Eddie Johnson said a number of factors contributed to the decrease in killings, including new tactics, technology and increased community policing in the most crime-plagued neighborhoods.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Johnson said the release of the Laquan McDonald video sparked a new "boldness" in criminals to break the law in 2016.

“I think that they used that to their advantage because if you think they don’t pay attention to that type of thing, you’re fooling yourself because they do,” Johnson told the Tribune. “I think the boldness of them is starting to tick down a bit, but it’s still there.”

Many accused Chicago officers of pulling back after the release of the Laquan McDonald video and going "fetal."

As of Tuesday, there were 644 homicides in Chicago, compared with 754 during the same period last year, according to the numbers tracked by the Chicago Tribune.

The Tribune tracks homicides differently than the CPD, which doesn't include homicides on area expressways, police-involved shootings or those in which a person was killed in self-defense.

Photo by Renee Schiavone