Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson posted on X that he thinks daily about building safer communities and that investments in working people have produced “dramatic declines in violence” in the city. The official account shared the message with a video, according to the post. Online users quickly pushed back in replies and quote posts, questioning the claim and arguing the city still faces shootings and weak enforcement.
The video shows Johnson speaking at a press conference with U.S. and Chicago flags behind him, intercut with crime-scene tape, a police car, and graphics. In the clip, he says, “Last year we had an incredible shift in terms of just our homicides, right? We had the fewest number of homicides since 1965, and this summer we’ve been able to sustain the fewest number of homicides since 1965.”
A later graphic reports 122 homicide victims from June to Aug 2026, compared with 129 in the same period in 2025. Johnson also says, “The goal is to take this model, and this framework all over the city of Chicago, where there’s a CPD presence in every single district,” and credits work with community violence interrupters.
In the post, Johnson wrote that he thinks “every day” and “every night” about “safer communities,” and that “efforts to invest in working people have led to the dramatic declines in violence we’re experiencing in our city.”
ABC7 reported that its data team could not confirm summer homicide figures dating back to 1965, while the on-screen tally compared only 2025 and 2026. The footage does not show recent individual shootings or what happened after the interview.
Online Reactions to the Chicago Crime Claims
Some users rejected the message outright. One commenter wrote, “No one believes your [expletive] anymore,” pointing to police staffing and Illinois’ SAFE-T Act.
Another said Johnson “can sleep peacefully knowing he has a taxpayer-funded security detail,” while “residents are left wondering whether that same level of urgency exists” in their neighborhoods.
Others focused on enforcement and credit. A reply told the mayor to “think about hiring more cops and enforcing the law.” A quoted post said, “You refuse to allow the men and women of the Chicago Police Department to actually be the Police” and “You refuse to hold criminals accountable.”
Separate comments argued national trends or federal action explained any drop, including one that said, “Sorry dude that was Trump bringing the crime down.”
A smaller set of replies treated the numbers as real but incomplete. One quote post noted that “2025 hit 60-year homicide lows” and that “Summer 2026 held most of the gain (122 vs 129),” while arguing results come from “specific work, not slogans.”
Watchdog account @BrianCostin asked whether Johnson would disavow Democratic Socialists of America positions after appearing with the group, writing that “The DSA wants to abolish the police and prisons.”
Johnson’s figures point to real progress in reducing violence across Chicago, but the reaction to his post shows that not everyone is ready to celebrate. After another deadly holiday weekend, some residents remain focused on what they are seeing and experiencing in their own communities, even as the broader numbers continue to move in the right direction.
