Chicago violent crime decreases in January compared to this time last year, police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police released their January crime numbers and are touting a drop in crime overall last month, compared to a year ago.

But the city did see an increase in murders and shootings.

The 34 murders reported in January is a 55% increase from the 22 killings in 2019.

The number of shootings also went up, with 139 incidents reported in January this year compared to 97 last year.

Police said in a news release Saturday that the department is using an "all-hands-on-deck approach in an effort to stem violence, with community-based organizations, street outreach groups and law enforcement collaborating and coordinating resources and strategies to drive down crime across communities.

Led by decreases in thefts and burglaries citywide, Chicago's overall violent crime, which includes murders, robberies, burglaries, thefts and motor vehicle thefts, fell by 3% in January compared to the same month last year.

"I am confident that crime in Chicago will end the year with an overall decline and that trust will improve between residents and police," interim Superintendent Charlie Beck said. "The increases seen in January are alarming, and I expect officers to respond with increased vigilance and by paying greater attention to the needs of their communities. The department reorganization is designed to address this by putting more officers and detectives closer to the people living in all neighborhoods throughout the city."

As part of the department's efforts to combat rising crime, CPD announced a comprehensive restructuring plan on Thursday that will deploy more than 1,100 police officers and detectives back into city streets, maximizing public safety resources and personnel in neighborhoods that have seen an increase in crime, police officials said.

RELATED: Chicago Police Department reorganization will bring officers 'back to the streets'

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To further build on these efforts, the city also announced this month two Request for Proposals for a total of $7.5 million in investments to expand community-based street outreach in communities that need it the most and integrate trauma-informed victim services for those who are at the highest risk of violence.