IS SUPPORTED BY THE SULING GIN CHARITIABLE FOUNDATION FOR REDUCING VIOLENCE IN CHICAGO.

>>> CHICAGO POLICE SAY FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY GUNFIRE OVER THE WEEKEND.

BUT THIS WEEKEND'S VIOLENCE FOLLOWS THE RELEASE OF NEW CPD DATA THAT FOUND HOMICIDES HAVE BEEN TRENDING DOWNWARD.

WTTG REPORTER MATT MASTSON JOINS US NOW WITH MORE.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HOMICIDES THIS YEAR COMPARED TO OTHER YEARS?

>> THEY HAVE BEEN GOING DOWN COMPARED TO THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF LAST YEAR.

301 HOMICIDES, DOWN 6% COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.

THE NUMBER OF SHOOTINGS RECORDED IS DOWN ABOUT 6%.

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SHOT IS DOWN ABOUT 10%.

BUT THESE FIGURES HAVE BEEN GROWING CLOSER TOGETHER.

THE GAPS HAVE BEEN CLOSING AS THE YEAR GOES ON.

JUNE 2023 ALONE SAW 66 HOMICIDES, THERE WERE 67 IN JUNE OF 2022.

THROUGH THE END OF MARCH, THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, HOMICIDES ARE DOWN 15% AND SHOOTINGS WERE DOWN 13%.

SO THOSE NUMBERS HAVE GOTTEN CLOSER TO LAST YEAR'S LEVELS AS THE YEAR GOES ON.

>> WHAT IS CPD AND OTHER CITY OFFICIALS SAY LED TO THE OVERALL DROP THIS YEAR, ALTHOUGH SMALL?

>> POLICE HAVE NOT POINTED TO ONE SPECIFIC THING THAT DROPPED THE SHOOTING RATES SO FAR THIS YEAR BUT THE SUPERINTENDENT FRED WALLER WHO IS ALWAYS CREDITING HIS POLICE OFFICERS, SOME OF WHOM HAVE HAD THEIR DAYS OFF CANCELED.

SINCE MAYOR JOHNSON TOOK OVER, HE IS STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF STREET OUT REACH AND COMMUNITY GROUPS AS VIOLENCE HISTORICALLY INCREASES IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.

>> THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS COMING INTO VIEW THIS WEEK.

THE COMMISSION FINDING THREE FINALISTS FOR THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT.

THEY WILL COME OUT WITH THE THREE FINALISTS AND WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?

>> WE WILL KNOW THE FINALS THIS WEEK ON THURSDAY.

THIS COMMISSION IS SET TO ANNOUNCE THE FINALISTS AFTER THIS LONG SEARCH FOR A NEW SUPERINTENDENT TO REPLACE WALLER ON A FULL-TIME BASIS.

THAT 53 PEOPLE HAD INITIALLY APPLIED.

THEY ARE DOWN TO SIX FINALISTS.

THOSE INCLUDE LARRY SNELLING WHO IS THE CHIEF OF CPD'S BUREAU OF COUNTERTERRORISM, FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF EARNEST CATO, DEPUTY SHEAF McDALA BONUS S, CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM CHIEF ANGELA BOWELING, DONNA AND SEAN BARNES WHO LEADS MADISON, WISCONSIN.

ONCE THEY ARE DOWN TO THE THREE, THEY WILL PRESENT THEM TO JOHNSON AND THEY WILL HAVE 30 DAYS TO PICK OF THOSE.

>> OR IF HE DOESN'T LIKE ANY OF THOSE, HE CAN HAVE THEM START THE PROCESS OVER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.