Peoria Standard

Darin LaHood, U.S. Representative for Illinois's 16th Congressional District, said that Chicago's decreasing violent crime rate demonstrates the effectiveness of empowering law enforcement, even when local leaders oppose federal efforts. The statement was made on X.

"Even with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. Pritzker working to protect criminals and undermining federal law enforcement, violent crime in Chicago is dropping," said Darin McKay LaHood, U.S. Representative from Illinois. "President Trump proved it in DC and now in Chicago — empowering law enforcement works."

Under both the Trump and Biden administrations, the federal government has increasingly utilized joint task forces and deployments to support local law enforcement in Chicago. This includes 2020’s Operation Legend, which sent federal agents into the city, and continued involvement from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during Biden’s tenure. These efforts have sparked intense debate between state and city leaders regarding local control, federal overreach, and their impact on violent crime outcomes.

According to recent data from the Chicago Police Department and local media reports, Chicago experienced a 21.6% drop in total violent crime over the past year and a 16% decline in homicides during a recent federal task force intervention period. This illustrates a notable year-on-year improvement in major crime metrics.

A Stateline analysis of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data indicates that the homicide rate in Chicago fell from approximately 18 per 100,000 residents in 2023 to around 17 per 100,000 in 2024. This occurred even as federal interventions such as agent deployments and task-force insertions were launched, suggesting that declines began prior to and continued through the intervention period.

LaHood is a Republican U.S. Representative for Illinois’s 16th Congressional District since 2023 and previously served as representative for the 18th district from 2015 to 2023. His profile indicates he served as a prosecutor and Illinois state senator before his election to Congress. He is also a member of the House Ways & Means Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, with an emphasis on law-enforcement support, national security, and reducing federal regulatory burdens.