Murders, shootings down in February from previous year, CPD says

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Police Department is touting new statistics that show a continued reduction in violent crimes.

The city says there were 23 murders last month, a 40 percent drop from February 2018, when there were 40 murders. A total of 44 murders have been reported in Chicago in the first two months of 2019, down from 80 murders last year over the same time period.

Superintendent Eddie Johnson joined ABC7 to talk about a police consent decree taking effect Friday and crime stats in February.

The 114 shooting incidents marked a 7 percent decline compared to last year, police said. In all, there were 132 shooting victims last month, down from 143 in February 2018.

CPD says investments in new crime-fighting technology and the hiring of more officers led to the dip in violent crimes.