Chicago records 36 percent jump in crime as some violent crime drops
Chicago has seen a 36 percent increase in overall crime since last year, though shootings and murders fell slightly.
The city, which has a history of high gun violence, saw other crimes like burglaries, thefts and car jackings rise over the past year.
Shooting incidents declined by 11 percent and murders were down 6 percent from this time last year, when Chicago recorded the most homicides in 25 years.
Burglaries were up 36 percent, thefts were up 70 percent and carjackings were up 43 percent, according to police data tracking crimes through March 27.
The crime trends in Chicago were similar to those in major cities including New York and Los Angeles.
Overall crime complaints in New York City rose by nearly 45 percent thus far this year, city data showed.
However, murders in the city dropped by roughly 5 percent, with shooting incidents up by about 17 percent.
Across the country in Los Angeles, homicides were down about 13 percent this year compared to last, and shootings declined by around 8 percent.
But robberies and car jackings were up, and the city recorded a nearly 12 percent jump in violent crime overall, Los Angeles Police Department data indicated.
On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed violence in the Windy City when he announced the indictment of 12 people accused of illegally bringing over 90 guns over state lines and into the city, according to the Justice Department.
Garland noted that many of the trafficked guns “have been linked to shootings in the Chicago area in which multiple people have been injured and several killed.”
On Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called for an end to gun violence across the state and the nation after a shooting in Sacramento left six people dead that morning.
“What we do know at this point is that another mass casualty shooting has occurred, leaving families with lost loved ones, multiple individuals injured and a community in grief,” the governor said in a statement.
“The scourge of gun violence continues to be a crisis in our country, and we must resolve to bring an end to this carnage.”
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