SubX.News® Crime Report
Chicago Police Department’s Week 31 Public Safety Report shows murders rising above last year’s pace while the city’s early-year crime reductions continue to erode.
Through Week 31, compared with the same period in 2025:
- Murders: 251 vs. 247 (+2%)
- Shooting Incidents: 844 vs. 854 (-1%)
- Motor Vehicle Theft: 10,649 vs. 9,823 (+8%)
- Total Crime: 55,587 vs. 56,903 (-2%)
While weekly and monthly totals in several categories remain below 2025 levels, the substantial crime reductions reported earlier in 2026 have largely disappeared.
Chicago continues to record the highest raw number of homicides among major U.S. cities this year, even as multiple national analyses show killings falling in many other large jurisdictions.
National Context
National research, including the Council on Criminal Justice’s Mid-Year 2026 report, shows homicides continuing to decline across many large U.S. cities. Chicago remains an outlier, recording the nation’s highest raw homicide total among major cities.
National averages do not necessarily reflect local conditions.
Chicago continues to report elevated homicide levels while many other large cities are experiencing declines.
Crime Confidence Index™
Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard reports:
- More people killed by gunfire: +11.6% year over year
- More homicide victims overall: +1.6% year over year
Independent analysis by http://SubX.News® of Gun Violence Archive data also found Chicago ranked No. 1 nationally in firearm incidents across five consecutive 72-hour datasets reviewed between mid-July and early August.
Chicago also continues to record the highest raw homicide total among major U.S. cities in 2026.
Through the end of July:
- Chicago: 250 homicide victims
- Philadelphia: Approximately 101 homicide victims
- Every other major U.S. city reporting comparable year-to-date data: Fewer than 100 homicide victims
While national studies report homicide continuing to decline overall, Chicago remains the nation’s highest city by raw homicide count.
Although each source measures violent crime differently, they point in the same direction.
Chicago continues to record:
- More homicide victims
- More people killed by gunfire
- Highest raw homicide total among major U.S. cities
- Highest number of firearm incidents
Together, these independent sources show Chicago’s firearm violence remains elevated despite broader reported crime declines.
Headlines say crime is down.
Numbers tell a different story.
Sources
Week 31 Public Safety Report (27 Jul 26 – 02 Aug 26)
https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-31-1.pdf
Week 30 Public Safety Report (20 Jul 26 – 26 Jul 26)
https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-30-1.pdf
Week 29 Public Safety Report (13 Jul 26 – 19 Jul 26)
https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-29-1.pdf
Week 28 Public Safety Report (06 Jul 26 – 12 Jul 26)
https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-28.pdf
Week 27 Public Safety Report (Jun 29 – Jul 05, 2026)
https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-27-1_Part1.pdf
Week 26 Public Safety Report (Jun 22 – Jun 28, 2026)
https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-26-1.pdf
Week 25 Public Safety Report (Jun 15 – Jun 21, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-25.pdf
Week 24 Public Safety Report (Jun 08 – Jun 14, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-24.pdf
Week 23 Public Safety Report (Jun 01 – Jun 07, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-23.pdf
Week 22 Public Safety Report (May 25 – May 31, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-22.pdf
Week 21 Public Safety Report (May 18 – May 24, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-21.pdf
Week 20 Public Safety Report (May 11 – May 17, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-20.pdf
Week 19 Public Safety Report (May 4, – May 10, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-19.pdf
Week 18 Public Safety Report (Apr 27 – May 3, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-18.pdf
Week 17 Public Safety Report (Apr 20 – Apr 26, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-17.pdf
Week 16 Public Safety Report (Apr 13 – Apr 19, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-16.pdf
Week 15 Public Safety Report (Apr 6 – Apr 12, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-15.pdf
Week 14 Public Safety Report (Mar 30 – Apr 5, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-14.pdf
Week 13 Public Safety Report (Mar 23 – Mar 29, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-13.pdf
Week 12 Public Safety Report (Mar 16 – Mar 22, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-12.pdf
Week 11 Public Safety Report (Mar 9 – Mar 15, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-11.pdf
Week 10 Public Safety Report (Mar 2 – Mar 8, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-10.pdf
Week 9 Public Safety Report (Feb 23 – Mar 1, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-9.pdf
Week 8 Public Safety Report (Feb 16 – Feb 22, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-8.pdf
Week 7 Public Safety Report (Feb 9 – Feb 15, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-7.pdf
Week 6 Public Safety Report (Feb 2 – Feb 8, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-6.pdf
Week 5 Public Safety Report (Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-5.pdf
Week 4 Public Safety Report (Jan 19 – Jan 25, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-4.pdf
Week 3 Public Safety Report (Jan 12 – Jan 18, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-3.pdf
Week 2 Public Safety Report (Jan 5 – Jan 11, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-2.pdf
Week 1 Public Safety Report (Dec 29, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026) https://chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/1_PDFsam_Public-Safety-Report-Public-Version-2026-Week-1.pdf
Chicago Police Department Crime Statistics Portal https://chicagopolice.org/statistics-data/crime-statistics/
City of Chicago Data Portal – Crimes 2026 https://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/Crimes-2026/f6bk-yv3r/data_preview
City of Chicago Violence Reduction Dashboard https://chicago.gov/city/en/sites/vrd/home.html@CWBChicago
Gun Violence Archive
https://gunviolencearchive.org
Violence Reduction – Victims of Homicides and Non-Fatal Shootings https://data.cityofchicago.org/Public-Safety/Violence-Reduction-Victims-of-Homicides-and-Non-Fa/gumc-mgzr/data_preview
Cook County Medical Examiner Case Archive
https://datacatalog.cookcountyil.gov/Health-Human-Services/Medical-Examiner-Case-Archive/cjeq-bs86/data_preview
Council on Criminal Justice, Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Mid-Year 2026 Update (July 2026) https://counciloncj.org/crime-trends-in-u-s-cities-mid-year-2026-update/
