Chicago police: Murders, shootings down in January from a year ago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police have released crime numbers from last month, and they say violence was down for the 11th month in a row.

Police said there were 39 murders this past January, down 25 percent from 52 murders in January 2017.

There were 161 shootings last January, down from 231 in January 2017 and there were 195 shooting victims last month, compared to 293 in January of 2017.

Chicago police credit investments in personnel and technology for the decreases Police also made seven percent more gun arrests and seized eight percent more illegal guns compared to January 2017.