Chicago homicides lowest in more than 10 years

The number in the year ended in May was the fewest since 2014.

The number of homicides in Chicago fell to a more than 10-year low in the most recent recording year.

The city saw 440 homicides from June 2025 to May 2026, a sharp drop from 544 in the year before that and the lowest number since the year ending in May 2014, according to city data.

Among neighborhoods, Austin recorded the most homicides in the most recent recording year, at 38. Close behind was Garfield Park, at 37, and next was Englewood, at 28.

In the most recent year, there were 127 homicide arrests, a rate of 29%, down from 214 arrests, or a 39% rate, in the previous year.

Falling arrest rates stem can come from understaffed, overworked police departments. Since 2019, more than 2,000 Chicago police officer positions have been eliminated while the department’s overtime budget doubled last year compared with the previous five years.

Homicides are a small portion of overall crime, but hitting a decade low is good news in a city with a reputation for lacking public safety.