In 2025, the City of Chicago saw a 29% decrease in homicides, Block Club Chicago reported this month — the lowest number of people killing each other in Chicago in 60 years. 

Of last year’s 416 homicides, 98 were in the Chicago Police Department’s 10th, 11th and 15th districts that cover Chicago’s West Side and beyond, according to data from the Chicago Police Department’s ClearMap. As with homicide rates across Chicago, those on the city’s greater West Side are also decreasing.  

In 2024, the 10th, 11th and 15th police districts saw 144 homicides, according to the Chicago Data Portal, and 149 in 2023.  

Homicide rates were also lower in each individual district in 2025 than in previous years.  

The 15th police district exclusively covers Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Last year, there were 30 homicides in the 15th police district, down from 39 in 2024 and 35 in 2023. 

The 10th police district — which covers the Near West Side, Garfield Ridge, North Lawndale, South Lawndale and Lower West Side — saw 26 homicides in 2025, 14 of which were in North Lawndale and 11 in South Lawndale. In 2024, there were 52 homicides in the 10th district, and 34 in 2023.  

In the 11th district — covering Humboldt Park, West Garfield Park, North Lawndale, East Garfield Park, Near West Side and the north part of Austin — there were 42 homicides last year. Of those, three were in Austin, three in North Lawndale, nine in East Garfield Park and 12 in West Garfield Park. In 2024, there were 53 homicides in the police district, down from 80 in 2023. 

According to the University of Chicago Crime Lab, seven neighborhoods — including Austin, North Lawndale and South Lawndale — accounted for 35% of the city’s decline in gun violence last year. 

While multiple factors could explain the citywide decrease in violent crime, there have been notable investments in violence prevention organizations and social programs over the past several years, especially on Chicago’s West Side.  

In Illinois’ 2021-22 budget, a record $100 million was committed to statewide violence prevention, about $60 million of which was designated for high-crime Chicago neighborhoods. And last year, the state, county and city committed another $100 million to community violence intervention programming, prioritizing funding for organizations helping those with a high risk of gun violence.