Austin is becoming safer, but still has progress to make

Austin remains one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago. But while it is still among the top 15 for firearm-related homicide mortality rates in Chicago, Austin is becoming less violent with the help of community outreach organizations. 

On June 10, leading groups in community violence intervention (CVI) gathered to celebrate a decade of progress, innovation, and leadership at the Epiphany Center for the Arts for an “Art of Peace” celebration and expo. 

Panelists and hosts of the event were from Chicago CRED, Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities and the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago (INVC) 

The Institute is an organization focused on gun violence prevention, intervention, and reduction in West Garfield Park, Back of the Yards and has its main office in Austin.  

After being established in 2016, the first outreach group began operating in Austin because it had one of the highest homicide rates and highest shooting rates in the city at the time, according to Shunda Watts Collins, vice president of development and communications at the organization. 

While the organization is the leading group for violence prevention in Austin, there are other organizations, such as BUILD Chicago and Life Changing Community Outreach, that operate and provide resources and programs to individuals in the area. 

At the expo, during a panel discussion following the showing of a short film, Watts Collins and other speakers praised the help they receive in collaboration with other organizations.  

“We move in one unit; we build the trust around each other,” said Nekenya Hardy, associate director of outreach and intervention.  

The victim count in Austin from Jan. 1 to June 20 of this year, compared to the same time period last year, has dropped in all categories except non-fatal shooting victimizations (+8.5%) and aggravated assault victimizations (+19.7%), according to data from the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard. 

“We have seen the change,” Watts Collins said. “That’s due to the daily interventions, the daily engagement, as well as when there is an incident, we are consistently showing up for families and for communities.” 

Since its inception, the institute has seen a 72% decrease in shootings within Austin, down to 132 in 2025 from a count of 432 in 2016. 

While outreach organizations have done a lot for Austin, there is still a way to go. For example, following a weekend of violence across Chicago, an 18-year-old man died after being shot in Austin Saturday, on the 4800 block of West Quincy St. 

Austin ranks 14th out of the 77 neighborhoods in Chicago for the shooting victimization rate by community area, meaning there were about 145 shootings per 100,000 between June 2025 and May 2026. 

Additionally, according to the perceived neighborhood safety rate, about 50.1% of adults in Austin report they feel safe in their neighborhood “all of the time” or “most of the time,” making it the 54th perceived safest neighborhood. 

Chicago CRED Founder Arne Duncan, at the panel discussion, said doing work on the streets can be dangerous and risky, but there is an even greater risk in not doing this work. Duncan served as Secretary of Education in the Obama administration. 

“It’s never done,” said Dennis Stanley, an outreach specialist for the institute in Austin. “It’s an ongoing process, and you gotta keep working.” 

Emma Bradford is an intern for NEWSWELL CHICAGO through Report for America’s Local News Internship Program.