Crime is down in the Chicago Police Department’s 9th District in three priority areas this year compared to the same period last year, the district’s Captain Michael Poppish said at the August 27, 2025, meeting of its police council.
Incidents of aggravated battery, including shootings, armed robberies and burglaries dropped appreciably in targeted areas of the district between January 1 and August 25, 2025, compared to the same period last year, Poppish said.
The three crime types were the top focus areas in the 9th District’s 2025 strategic plan, Poppish said, with shooting-related aggravated batteries highlighted as the No. 1 problem.
Aggravated Batteries
The area targeted to reduce shootings is south of the McKinley Park neighborhood in the Back of the Yards neighborhood between South Halsted Street and South Hoyne Avenue, and from West 43rd Street to West 55th Street.
In the first eight months of 2024, the 9th District recorded 29 aggravated batteries in the target area. However, in the first eight months of 2025, 19 aggravated batteries were reported — a 34 percent decrease.
Almighty Saints vs. La Raza
Conflict between the Almighty Saints and La Raza street gangs is the primary cause for shootings in Back of the Yards, Poppish said. Tactical missions against gangs and more cameras helped reduce shooting incidents this year, he said.
Armed robberies were the No. 2 problem identified in the strategic plan, with 34 incidents — mostly early-morning robberies of food trucks — occurring in the first eight months of 2024.
More Camera Surveillance
A targeted area between South Wentworth and South Ashland avenues, from West Pershing Road to West 55th Street, has recorded 13 so far this year, Poppish said, a 62 percent reduction.
More cameras and pattern identification helped reduce the number of armed robberies, he said.
Commercial Burglaries
Burglaries in the east end of the 9th District are the No. 3 problem identified in the strategic plan, with 76 occurring in the first eight months of 2024 in a target area from South Wentworth to South Ashland avenues, between the I-55 Stevenson Expressway and South Pershing Road.
Many of these were commercial burglaries at which perpetrators would slam through the front door of a commercial establishment in the early morning hours using a stolen vehicle, Poppish said.
Pattern Identification
Police again used video surveillance to identify trends and increased tactical unit patrols, he said, resulting in 57 burglaries so far this year, a 25 percent decrease from 2024.
The Chicago Police Department’s 9th District develops its annual strategic plan based on crime data and community meetings that take place in October, with dates and locations to be announced.
Photography by Kevin O'Neil
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