FACT SHEET: PUBLIC SAFETY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN ILLINOIS
While Trump Threatens to Deploy the National Guard to Chicago, a United Illinois and Chicago Stand by Sound Policies and Strong Local Law Enforcement that Make it Safer Than Many Red States
August 25, 2025
While the Trump Administration plans to deploy the National Guard, active-duty military, or federal agents into Democratic-led states, Illinois is showing that smart, data-driven policies, investment in strong law enforcement, and community engagement produce real results.
In contrast to the declines in violent crime in Illinois and Chicago, a number of Republican-led states continue to see a high level of violent crime. Yet, the Trump Administration ignores these crime levels, undermining their public safety claims. Deploying military officers only seeks to undermine the hard work both state and local police departments and community members have built on to regain trust, including the ways that state and local law enforcement already coordinate with federal law enforcement to tackle crime.
Instead, the Trump Administration should focus on releasing critical crime prevention and law enforcement funding back to local communities and states, rather than undermining the hard work of local police and communities.
Illinois & Chicago Crime Rates Continue to Show Progress
Contrary to Trump’s claims portraying crime as out of control, crime in Chicago is declining. The city is on pace for the lowest number of homicides in decades, driven in part by community-based programs and strategic investments in evidence-based policy.
- Murders are down more than 30% in the past year and cut in half since 2021
- Robberies are down 33% from 2024, 37% since 2023
- Shooting incidents are down 36% from 2024 and cut by more than half since 2021
- Burglaries down 21% compared to 2024
- Motor vehicle thefts are down 26% compared to 2024
Across the rest of the state, communities are also seeing sustained reductions in violent crime.
- Statewide homicides are down nearly 10% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to latest FBI data.
- Interstate shootings are down 31% in 2024 compared to 2023 and are down nearly 71% since 2021
The Trump Administration Ignores Republican-Led States Facing Far Higher Homicide Rates
While Illinois has driven crime down through smart investments and reform, Trump has ignored persistently high crime in states run by Republican Governors to only further create fear and chaos. Several Republican-led states are experiencing far higher levels of violent crime.
According to the latest CDC data, in 2023, eight of the 10 states with the highest homicides rates were led by Republican governors. In fact, Mississippi recorded homicide rates nearly double those of Illinois. If Illinois had the same murder rate as Mississippi, the state’s homicide totals would be thousands higher each year.
The same can be said for deaths by firearms, where nine of the top 10 states with the highest rate of death by firearms include Mississippi and Louisiana, each having more than double Illinois’ rate.
Illinois Focuses on Evidence-Based Solutions, Strong Police Force that Deliver Results
Since taking office, Governor JB Pritzker has prioritized addressing the root causes of violence through smart, evidence-based policy. The Reimagine Public Safety Act (RPSA) has invested $250 million in trauma-informed, evidence-based programs to reduce gun violence, while the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention has coordinated statewide initiatives. These evidenced-based initiatives are producing results:
- The Peacekeeper Program, which trains residents to mediate and de-escalate conflicts, has resulted in a 41% reduction in gun violence in targeted Chicago and suburban Cook County neighborhoods
- Over 90% of RPSA communities in Chicago experienced declines in total firearm victimizations in July 2025 as compared to July 2024
- Illinois ranks 6th in the nation and 1st in the Midwest for per-capita police spending, well above the national average.
Despite Trump Administration attacks claiming that Democratic states are “defunding the police,” Republican led states rank in the lowest spending in policing.
- Mississippi: 44th in the nation, spending 34% below the national average
- Louisiana: 27th, spending 15% below the national average
- Alabama: 39th, spending 29% below the national average
Illinois ranks third in the nation for police careers, offering the highest median annual wage for officers—over $101,700 adjusted for cost of living—and the eighth-highest salary growth potential.
Trump Continues to Undermine Public Safety Nationwide
President Trump has undermined public safety by freezing $158 million in funding for violence prevention programs in cities like Chicago, dismantling the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP), and terminating more than $800 million in anti-violence grants nationwide. His administration rolled back federal consent decrees designed to hold police accountable and rebuild trust with communities.
If President Trump was serious about making Chicago safer, he would restore critical funding for community violence prevention and maintain consent decrees driving needed police reforms that are making our communities safer.
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