Trump made it a recurring theme on the campaign trail in both 2016 and 2024.
He has drawn controversial comparisons between the city and war zones like Afghanistan, and in 2017, vowed to “send in the feds” in response to gun violence — a move that came even as the city was experiencing a broader trend of declining violent crime.
Violent crime in Chicago dropped significantly in the first half of the year, representing the steepest decline in over a decade, according to city data. Shootings are down 37%, and homicides have dropped by 32%, while total violence crime dropped by over 22%.
The Chicago skyline is reflected on Anish Kapoor’s stainless steel sculpture Cloud Gate, also known as “The Bean,” in the city’s Millennium Park Thursday, May 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
The Chicago skyline is reflected on Anish Kapoor’s stainless steel sculpture Cloud Gate, also known as “The Bean,” in the city’s Millennium Park Thursday, May 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Read More
Crime in Chicago also represents persistent, localized challenges, said Kimberley Smith, director of national programs for the University of Chicago Crime Lab. The neighborhoods with the highest homicide rates experience approximately 68 times more homicides than those with the lowest rates.
Smith attributes much of the drops in violent crime to a focus in Chicago on the systemic drivers of violence, rather than the militaristic approach Trump has touted in Washington, D.C. She encouraged more federal investment in researching these types of violence prevention strategies.
“Kind of out of necessity Chicago has become a hub for innovation in gun violence prevention,” she said.