Carjackings down by 55%, but shootings, murders remain on the rise: CPD report

Carjackings have fallen by 55% since their peak in the winter, but shootings and murders continue to surpass 2020 levels, according to newly released statistics from the Chicago Police Department.

The city also saw a 20% drop in the total reported crime, compared to the same four-month period last year. Incidents of aggravated battery, burglary, robbery and theft reached 20-year lows, Chicago police said.

The monthly crime statistics released Saturday highlight a 55% decrease in vehicular hijackings since January. The report credits increased enforcement and the efforts of youth outreach workers and community partners.

At the end of January, the Department added 40 officers and four sergeants to the task force focused on reducing the number of carjackings across the city. Carjackings more than doubled citywide in 2020 but have been trending downward since the start of the new year, according to the April report.

Violent crimes, such as homicide and aggravated assault, have risen 4% since the start of the year, according to the report, with violent crime rates for April 2021 up 20% compared to April 2020.

In the first four months of 2021, Chicago police reported 997 shooting victims and 187 murders, compared to 718 victims and 156 murders during the same period in 2020.

April 2021 alone saw 299 people get shot, 53 of them fatally — a drop from the 58 people killed in April last year, police said. In April 2020, 225 people were shot in Chicago.