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New data shows over the last year even as homicides were at a
10-year low, arrests in those cases also fell from 42% to 27%,
or just 133 apprehensions in 498 investigations.
“We got to be very clear about the fact that public safety is
foundational,” Buckner told The Center Square. “If people don't
feel safe in their homes, on the train, walking their kids to
school, nothing else that we do as government really matters.
This data deserves to be looked at fully to figure out what
we're doing right so we can do more of it and what we’re doing
wrong so we can do less. I think we have the opportunity to move
beyond reaction and for systemic change.”
Statistics also show residents on the city’s West and South
sides saw the most bloodshed, as the city was once more tagged
the country’s homicide capital for the 13th straight year. For
the eighth time over the last decade, the Austin neighborhood
was again the deadliest with 47 murders.
Buckner said none of the numbers truly tell the full story.
“Real safety isn't just the absence of violence, it's the
presence and the pervasiveness of peace,” he said. “To me, peace
looks like jobs that people can count on, like schools that are
safe, neighborhoods where businesses can thrive, public transit
that feels secure. We got to celebrate progress without ignoring
gaps in accountability.”
While the city recorded as many as 573 murders in 2024, its
overall dimming arrest rate coincides with a trend of fewer
officers patrolling the streets. Since 2019, the number of sworn
police officers has dipped by more than 2,100 members.
“I think the work that the superintendent in Chicago has been
doing has been well received,” Buckner said. “We've seen some
results in those spaces and I commend him for his work. There's
always more that we should be doing and I think we work best
when we realize that it's not all of our fault, but it is all of
our responsibility to find a way to get to a better spot.”
Overall violent crime numbers are also down over the last year
with 25,707 offenses reported in 2024 compared to 26,468 a
decade earlier.
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