Chicago Data Appears to Contradict Lightfoot's Claim of Decline in Crime

Crime data compiled by the Chicago Tribune shows that more people have been shot this year in the Windy City so far than at the same point in 2020.

This appears to contradict Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s contention at a press conference on Friday that "crime is on the decline. All of our major indices show a decline in our crime and our homicides and our shootings year over year are down."

There have been 1,587 people shot in Chicago in 2021 so far, almost 200 more than at the same point last year, according to data updated through June 14, according to the Tribune.

Data compiled by the Chicago Sun-Times also appears to show an upswing in violent crime. The paper reported last week that there have been at least 317 homicides in Chicago in 2021, an increase from 302 this time last year.

For the whole of 2020, there were 775 homicides, which was up more than 50% from 506 murders in the previous year.

Lightfoot made her claims about lower crime figures after Newsmax reporter William Kelly questioned whether "off-the-charts violent crime in the City of Chicago" is keeping businesses closed and asked for her response to criticism she has "lost control of the city."

Lightfoot told Kelly at the press conference, which was held to to announce the reopening of the city from coronavirus lockdowns, that "The premise of your question, which is it's chaos everywhere, the fact of the matter is, sir – which you also didn't point out, but I will so we get this straight – is we're actually seeing a decline in homicides and shootings, yes sir."

But according to NBC Chicago, which says that police have been forced to beef up patrols in an attempt to halt the crime surge, there have also been other indications of increased crime in Chicago.

There have been 708 carjackings reported from the beginning of the year through June 13, compared to 416 during the same period last year, according to police statistics.

Some, however, have pointed out that some of the lower crime statistics from last year could be due to the full lockdowns that were in place during multiple months during the first part of 2020 before demonstrations and riots over the killing of George Floyd while in police custody brought mass numbers of people into the streets.

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