The Chicago Police Department says its crime statistics for August show a 40% decrease in murders and a 15% decrease in shooting incidents compared with the month before.
Despite the drop, there were still 503 shooting victims and 63 murders in August, compared to 268 and 49, respectively, over the same month last year.
"This has been an unprecedented year in policing, as coronavirus, civil unrest and violence have all converged in Chicago and in cities throughout the country," Superintendent David Brown said in a statement. "Thanks to not only the launch of our two citywide teams but also our ongoing partnerships with street outreach and community-based organizations, we have seen a substantial decrease in violent crime in August compared to the previous summer months.”
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Police also say through Aug. 31, they have taken 6,900 guns off the streets -- including nearly 300 assault weapons – and have made more than 4,600 gun-related arrests.
And a task force set up to comb video footage and photos of the widespread looting that occurred on Aug. 10 has resulted in 26 felony arrests, authorities added.
“The Department remains thankful for the help it has received from viewers in identifying these suspects,” it said.
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The Chicago Police Department also highlighted in the August report the dangers its officers are facing, as 51 of them have been shot at through Aug. 31 compared to only 15 throughout the entirety of last year.
City-wide, there have been 506 murders through Aug. 31, compared to 339 during the same stretch of 2019.