As the city neared 800 murders, Supt. Brown holds year-end press conference on crime

CHICAGO – Supt. David Brown hosted the CPD’s annual year-end press conference from police headquarters.

In the comments section, he acknowledges the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to safety and violence in Chicago.

As of Thursday, there had been 794 homicides in the city – compared with 770 last year. The department said shootings increased by nearly 9% and that 76 officers were shot or shot in 2021.

In the midst of one of the most violent years in Chicago history, there were improvements.

The CPD seized more than 12,000 illegal firearms, which Brown says are department records. The CPD says the homicide rate is around 50%.

Brown went on to say tackling the illegal gun pipeline into Chicago and getting guns on the street remains a top priority for law enforcement.

“We’re having a gun crisis, so getting guns off the streets is a top priority for us,” Brown said. “To keep focusing on and they’ve done an extraordinary job.”

As carjackings have continued to soar since the pandemic, Brown said the CPD has seen a 40% increase in carjacking arrests compared to last year.

Police will be out of the city center this weekend as the city prepares for one of the its biggest New Year’s Eve historic fireworks show on Friday night.