Chicago has witnessed a significant decline in robbery numbers, reaching historic lows after a nearly three-year surge in crime.
According to a WBEZ analysis of city data, the period from September 2021 to June 2024 saw almost every month reflecting a year-over-year increase in robberies, culminating in a peak of 1,213 incidents in August 2023.
However, starting in July of last year, robbery numbers began to decrease dramatically, with every month since then recording a double-digit drop in robberies compared to the previous year.
The first three months of 2025 marked the fewest robberies of any quarter in decades.
Wesley G. Skogan, an emeritus political scientist at Northwestern University, attributed the increase in robbery during the pandemic to societal dynamics.
“You could see the impact of COVID on crime,” Skogan stated, adding that while burglary rates decreased, street robberies surged.
Yet, Skogan observes that society is currently healing.
“Schools are open. Violence interruption is more common than it was before. Youth and recreational services are back. The police are working more reasonable hours and their activity — traffic stops, arrests, speeding tickets — has been creeping back up toward normal,” he explained.
In Illinois, robbery is defined as taking property from someone through the use or threat of force.
The WBEZ analysis of Chicago data includes attempted robberies and encompasses both armed and unarmed incidents.
Carjackings, a specific type of robbery, have also seen a significant drop of more than 50% this year.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has attributed the decline in robbery rates to a “robbery task force” established by the Chicago Police Department (CPD) in May.
“Nothing is more important to me than the safety and well-being of all our residents,” Johnson stated in relation to the task force, amidst scrutiny from a U.S. House committee over immigration policies he has implemented.
A spokesperson for the CPD declined to provide specifics about the task force, including the number of officers assigned to it.
In previous statements, the department mentioned that the task force’s efforts consist of “on-the-ground missions and investigations” conducted by detectives, patrol officers, and counterterrorism personnel.
As of January, the CPD reported that the task force had solved 158 robbery-related cases and identified 12 robbery patterns.
In a recent CPD press release, it was noted that task force members arrested two boys, ages 16 and 17, “less than 20 minutes” after they committed a robbery at gunpoint against three men in the Logan Square neighborhood.
Throughout the 12 months ending March 31, over three-quarters of Chicago’s community areas registered a decrease in robbery incidents compared to the previous year.
Significant reductions of more than 50% were evident in neighborhoods such as Avondale, Brighton Park, Dunning, Forest Glen, Hermosa, Hyde Park, Logan Square, and Pilsen.
Conversely, the community areas with increases exceeding 10% included Avalon Park, Burnside, Edgewater, Fuller Park, Hegewisch, the Loop, and Norwood Park.
The Loop experienced the highest raw number increase, with 60 additional robberies, reflecting a 21.6% rise compared to the past year.
From April 2024 through March 2025, robbery rates per 10,000 residents were highest in Fuller Park (302), West Garfield Park (109), East Garfield Park (95), Englewood (93), and North Lawndale (92).
Notably, all areas except Fuller Park reported fewer robberies than the previous year.
Damien Morris, who leads a publicly funded anti-violence initiative for Breakthrough Ministries in East Garfield Park, remarked that they have observed a trend of younger individuals committing crimes such as robberies and carjackings.
Morris explained that the Breakthrough team identified crime hotspots and set up pop-up events for leafleting and discussions on preventing carjackings and robberies.
“We engaged with the men and women whose activities may seem high risk,” he noted, highlighting public gatherings around dice games.
The decline in robberies is part of a broader trend of decreasing violent crime in Chicago, with murders down nearly 24% from the same time last year, according to city data.
An analyst for crime data in New Orleans shared with WBEZ that the reduction in violent crime in Chicago is mirroring a national trend.
image source from：https://www.wbez.org/criminal-justice/2025/04/16/chicagos-robbery-surge-is-over
