While we still see spikes in weekend violence, and headlines that decry the city not doing enough, it is apparent to me that continual progress is being made to make neighborhoods safer and to create a more transparent and accountable Police Department.
On reform, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson has revised policy to promote accountability, overhauled training and committed to collaboration with the newly appointed independent monitor for the city's consent decree.
On violent crime, significant declines in gun violence continue since a tragic spike in 2016. This includes a five-year low in murders for the month of July and a nearly 40 percent reduction in shootings since the Chicago Police Department implemented a data-driven strategy that puts communities first and gets officers to the right places at the right times.
So, Chicago is making progress. But with a murder rate still many times that of New York or Los Angeles, with fraught police-community relationships and one of the most expansive consent decrees ever drafted, much work remains.
More from the Crain's Chicago Business here.
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