Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago has seen a drop in shootings and homicides as thefts of all kinds surged in 2022, according to police data.
Chicago had at least 723 murders in 2022, a 13% decrease from 2021 but more than any other city in the U.S., the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday.
In Chicago, a year of fewer shootings and murders but little sense of being safer https://t.co/PgF6XeVCaR
— Tom Schuba (@TomSchuba) December 30, 2022
Overall crime reported in Chicago has increased more than 12% in 2022 due to an uptick in all kinds of thefts. Robberies and burglaries are each up 10%, motor vehicle thefts jumped 95% and general theft is up 50% from 2021, data from the Chicago Police Department (PD) shows.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot requested more police funding in the 2023 city budget, building on Chicago’s 2022 police funding increase. The city has deployed extra police and invested millions to combat violence as part of Lightfoot’s “Our City Our Safety” initiative, the Sun-Times reported.
Of the 15 violent Chicago areas targeted by Lightfoot’s initiative, 14 saw a drop in overall homicides and shootings. Chicago PD officers were sent to 55 of the city’s most violent beats, and 59% of overall police beats saw a decrease in homicides and shootings from 2021, according to the Sun-Times. Thirty-three percent of overall beats experienced an increase in such crimes. (RELATED: Alleged Suspect In Idaho Slayings Was Reportedly Studying Criminology)
Chicago suffered a surge in violent crime in 2020 and 2021 as the city’s police department grappled with retirements and recruiting difficulties. Homicides surged 50% from 2019 to 2020 and went up by 6% from 2020 to 2021, the Sun-Times reported.
Lightfoot is up for re-election against 11 other candidates in the Feb. 28, 2023 general election. The top two finishers will advance to a runoff if no candidate receives majority support.