Crime in Chicago (original) (raw)

In Chicago, crime has been tracked by the Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Records since the beginning of the 20th century. The city's overall crime rate, especially the violent crime rate, is higher than the US average. Chicago was responsible for nearly half of 2016's increase in homicides in the US, though the nation's crime rates remained near historic lows as of 2016. Some attribute the city's strong gang culture to the city's unusually high crime rate compared to neighboring cities, and some do not.