Chicago's New Safety Strategy Shows Promising Results

Violent crime drops in key neighborhoods under community-led approach

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Chicago leaders say a new community-driven safety strategy is starting to show measurable results, with violent crime dropping 40% in Little Village and 10% in West Garfield Park during the first year of implementation. The plan focuses on prevention, partnerships and neighborhood-led solutions to address the root causes of crime.

Why it matters

Chicago has long struggled with high levels of violence, particularly in certain neighborhoods. This new approach, developed in partnership with community groups, represents a shift away from traditional policing tactics and towards a more holistic, preventative model that aims to create lasting change.

The details

The city's Community Safety Strategy, also known as the "People's Plan," relies on a mix of community partnerships, violence prevention programs, and targeted investments. In neighborhoods where the strategy has been implemented, early data shows promising results, with a 40% drop in violent crime in Little Village and a 10% decrease in West Garfield Park over the first year. The approach in Austin, for example, heavily involves partnerships with community organizations that have deep roots in the neighborhood, working directly with residents, young people, and individuals most at risk of being involved in violence.

  • The Community Safety Strategy was implemented in 2025.
  • The first year of the strategy saw a 40% drop in violent crime in Little Village and a 10% decrease in West Garfield Park.

The players

Garien Gatewood

Chicago's Deputy Mayor for Community Safety, who says the strategy focuses on prevention, partnerships and neighborhood-led solutions.

Hyson Harper

CEO of Anchor Chicago, one of the organizations helping implement the community safety strategy in the Austin neighborhood. Harper is a former resident who turned his life around after being shot and serving time in prison.

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What they’re saying

“Prevention does work alongside intervention. Community members are the ones who are living through these experiences, and they've been living through this for quite some time. This is why it was important that when we set out with the People's Plan for Community Safety, we didn't try to build something without community. We sat down with community members.”

— Garien Gatewood, Chicago's Deputy Mayor for Community Safety (fox32chicago.com)

“At one point in time, I saw people getting killed every day. I don't see that anymore. That's how you measure change.”

— Hyson Harper, CEO of Anchor Chicago (fox32chicago.com)

What’s next

City officials acknowledge the work is far from finished, but they say the early results show what can happen when communities, organizations, and the city work together toward the same goal. For neighborhoods like Austin, Little Village, and West Garfield Park, the hope is that the progress seen so far is just the beginning.

The takeaway

This new community-driven safety strategy represents a shift away from traditional policing tactics and towards a more holistic, preventative model that aims to create lasting change by addressing the root causes of crime. The early results in neighborhoods like Little Village and West Garfield Park suggest this approach has promise, but city leaders acknowledge there is still more work to be done.