Annual Crime Plummets in McKinley Park, 9th District

Chicago's McKinley Park neighborhood was a safer place to live in 2025 than in 2024.

The neighborhood saw a 16.3 percent decrease in serious crimes from 2024 to 2025: a trend for most community areas across the Chicago Police Department’s 9th District.

Information from the City of Chicago’s Chicago Data Portal shows 122 fewer “index” crimes in the McKinley Park neighborhood in 2025 than 2024, with the greatest decreases in robberies — down 60 percent — and motor vehicle thefts, with a 30 percent decrease.

Index Crimes

Index crimes comprise serious infractions and also include homicide, assault, burglary, theft, battery and criminal sexual assault. In McKinley Park, only burglary and criminal sexual assault showed slight increases in 2025 compared to 2024.

“I'm proud of the reduction of crime we've seen in 2025,” said 9th District Commander Joseph Mark. “Proactive policing, community engagement and teamwork is what made this progress possible.”

Across 9th District

Annual index crimes fell by almost 10 percent across the entire 9th District, which covers McKinley Park and the surrounding neighborhoods of New City, Gage Park, Near South Side, South Lawndale, Bridgeport, Fuller Park, West Englewood, Englewood, Brighton Park, Douglas, Armour Square and the Lower West Side.

However, Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood to the east of the McKinley Park neighborhood saw a 3.4 percent increase in index crimes annually. In comparison, the Brighton Park neighborhood to the west enjoyed a nearly 16 percent drop from 2024 to 2025.

First Drop in Five Years

"Coordinated strategies between Chicago police and community violence initiatives have proven to make our communities safer," said 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez, whose ward covers most of the McKinley Park and Brighton Park neighborhoods.

The decrease in the McKinley Park neighborhood’s annual crime is the first seen through five years of analysis by this publication. For example, index crime increased by 6 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, and it jumped 20 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.

Crime Fell Citywide

"This 10 percent reduction in crime is a direct reflection of the dedication of our officers and the deliberate strategies we put in place this year," Mark said. "It's a direct testament to the hard work by the men and women of the 9th District."

"Throughout Chicago we have seen an overall crime reduction in 2025," Ramirez said, with data showing a nearly 10 percent decrease in index crimes across the city as compared to 2024.