PRESS RELEASE from the
ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE

CONTACT: Micky Horstman (312) 607-4977

Black, Hispanic Chicagoans made up 95% of homicide victims
Illinois Policy Institute research found arrests rates for violent crimes plummeted

CHICAGO (June 10, 2024) – As Chicago moves into summer, analysis is showing low-income areas of the city and Black and Hispanic Chicagoans are much more likely to experience crime.

Research from the Illinois Policy Institute found Black and Hispanic Chicagoans made up 95% of the city’s homicide victims during the past 12 months. Black Chicagoans were 20 times more likely to be the victim of a homicide than white residents, while Hispanics were 4.7 times more likely.

Similarly, Black Chicagoans were 4.5 times more likely to be the victim of violent vehicle crime in Chicago and 5.3 times more likely to be assaulted.

Few assailants have been brought to justice. Citywide homicide arrest rates reached a record low from May 2023 through April 2024, compared to the same period in previous years. Only 1 in 4 homicides lead to an arrest. The arrest rate for assaults has plummeted to just 1 in 10 during the past 12 months.

“The majority of Chicagoans disapprove of the way Mayor Brandon Johnson is handling crime, and for good reason,” said Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic research at the Illinois Policy Institute. “His strategy of making drastic police budget cuts and eliminating hundreds of officer positions is making matters worse, especially for minority and low-income communities who will continue to suffer the most from this epidemic until city leaders get serious about crime.”

Violent crime in Chicago affects minority communities most:

• Englewood and West Garfield Park, neighborhoods on the city’s South Side and West Side, led the city in homicides during the past 12 months.
• In total, 9 of every 10 homicides reported from May 2023 through April 2024 occurred on the city’s South Side and West Side. In contrast, 24 of Chicago’s 94 neighborhoods experienced no homicides during that time, with the 15 of those communities located on the city’s North Side.
• Chicago’s youth face extreme risk: over 45% of homicide victims with known ages were under 30 years old. Eighteen percent of them were under 20.

To read more about Chicago’s summer crime, visit illin.is/homicides.

For interviews or interviews, contact media@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977.