Shootings and homicides in the city have seen a downturn, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, with at least 632 people killed in 2023—a 15% drop from the year before. On the other, robberies are on a worrying rise, with gun use in such crimes surging to 60% from the 40% recorded in 2019.
The CBS Chicago analysis echoes this concern, detailing a 24% increase in robberies compared to the previous year. At the street level, workers like Jonas Jacox, who dedicates his time to helping those in high-risk environments in Roseland, are keenly aware of the challenges these numbers represent. "Sometimes guys are worse off in the program because we’re turning predators into prey," Jacox told the Sun-Times, underlining the complexity of violence intervention.
Amid the crime shifts, automobile thefts, particularly of Kias and Hyundais, have skyrocketed. Thieves are exploiting weaknesses in these car models, leading to more than 29,000 car thefts reported over the past year—a significant increase from 8,800 in 2019, per the Chicago Sun-Times.
Meanwhile, CBS Chicago reports highlight a rising streak in retail thefts, with major retailers like Walgreens and Target suffering the most. Thefts from these store giants accounted for nearly 30% of all reported retail thefts in the city last year. The dynamic is contributing to a sense of lawlessness in certain areas, with many thefts and robberies resulting in no arrests. "Violence in Chicago is driven by some larger, systemic issues creating a high level of stress among a particular group of guys in the streets who lack opportunities," urban studies professor Lance Williams explained in a statement obtained by the Sun-Times.
Police Supt. Larry Snelling has emphasized the differentiated approach in tackling crime by saying, "I cannot apply a one-size-fits-all crime strategy across the entire city," according to a statement provided by the Chicago Sun-Times.
