Chicago police reported a 6 percent decrease in murder through the first 10 months of 2014 compared to the same time period last year.
The 33 murders in October tied 2013 for the fewest in the month since 1965, police spokesman Martin Maloney told Homicide Watch Chicago.
Those murders raised the yearly total to 331 killings — 22 fewer than the first 10 months of 2013, and 105 less over the same period in the unusually violent 2012, police said.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office tallied 365 Chicago homicides, including 14 people fatally shot by police officers. Chicago Police detectives have ruled some of those homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents. The medical examiner's office counts homicides whereas the Chicago police count murders following FBI guidelines.
While murders were down through October, there were more shooting incidents and people shot compared to the first 10 months of last year.
Through October, there were 2,129 people shot in 1,747 incidents in 2014, compared to 1,960 people shot in 1,602 shootings last year, police said.
Police noted that while both shooting incidents and shooting victims are up compared to last year, both categories are lower than 2012 and 2011 totals.
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“So far this year we have had the fewest amount of murders since 1965, yet we all know it’s not enough and there’s much more work to be done,” said Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy in a statement. “We will continue to put more officers in high crime areas, proactively intervene in gang conflicts and enhance our community policing efforts, because fostering stronger relationships with the residents we serve is the foundation of our public safety philosophy.”
