Crime Down, Murder Up in Chicago

Overall crime is down 6.9 percent

Beleived it or not, Chicago's top cop says the city is getting safer.

"While the public perception is that violence has increased to unprecedented levels, the facts do not support that conclusion," Police superintendent Jody Weis said Sunday during a gun buy-back program.

Weis said violent crime is down 11 percent in 2010, which is good as long as you're not concerned with murders.

Police say aggravated assault and battery, criminal sexual assault and robbery all had double-digit decreases in April, but homicides are up by about 8-percent over the same period last year.

Overall, Chicago has seen a 6.9 percent reduction in crime.

Property crimes, including burglary, theft and arson, have also decreased, but motor vehicle theft was up almost 14 percent.

As of Saturday, the city had 127 homicides, three more than this time last year. That number is still below the five-year average for the same period from 2005-2009.

Weis says police have been helped by surveillance cameras and the Text2tip program that allows people to submit information anonymously.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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