Chicago police have released their crime statistics for 2023, showing significant drops in homicides, shootings and carjackings in the city.
According to that data, there were 617 total homicides in the city in 2023, a decrease of 12.9% over 2022 and a decrease of 23.3% over 2021 numbers.
Shootings dropped by a similar percentage, with 2,450 total shooting incidents in 2023. There were 1,100 fewer shootings in 2023 than there were in 2021, representing a drop of nearly 32% over that time, according to officials.
Carjackings, which soared in the aftermath of the pandemic thanks to a combination of factors including the infamous “Kia/Hyundai challenge” popularized on TikTok and other social media sites, were down 21% in 2023, officials said.
“During 2023, CPD worked alongside community partners from across the city to reduce violence and build trust throughout our neighborhoods,” CPD Supt. Larry Snelling said in a statement. “As we head into the new year, we will continue our efforts to build stronger bonds amongst our residents, support the victims of crime and protect all Chicagoans.”
Snelling also pointed to increased rates of weapon recovery, with nearly 12,500 guns taken off of Chicago streets, according to the department. Homicide clearance rates also rose to 51.7%, the highest rate the city has reported since 2019.
Officials pointed to successes of task forces designed to combat carjackings and also to come organized retail crime, but did not cite specific statistics on the latter category.
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The city’s police department also hired nearly 700 new recruits in 2023, with more than 200 additional individuals taking exams in the month of December.
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