CHICAGO (AP) – Chicago Police say crime dropped dramatically in January to levels not seen in years.
In a Friday news release, the department says January ended with 20 homicides – half as many as January 2018 and the lowest January total in 9 years. The number of shooting incidents – 100 – was the lowest total for January in five years.
The drop in the number of robberies, motor vehicle thefts, and burglaries was more dramatic – with totals in all of those categories the lowest in 20 years.
The department has said the falling numbers over the past two years are largely due to the expansion of high-tech crime-fighting tools and the hiring of hundreds of new officers. On Friday, police said nearly 200 new officers were deployed in January.
