() The U.S. Justice Department has cut nearly $1 billion in grants that support everything from centers for domestic violence victims to gun violence prevention to police training. Some worry that this slashing comes with a price, especially in major cities like Chicago.
For 13 years in a row, Chicago has worn the grim badge as the nation’s leader in the number of annual homicides (populous Chicago actually ranks 13th in the U.S. when murders are tabulated per capita). In 2024, the number of homicides within the city stood at 573.
There’s reason for hope. This year, the Chicago Police Department says murders are at the lowest level in six years. Officials credit changes in the way homicide investigators operate as well as grassroots efforts supported by federal funding.
Metropolitan Peace Initiatives is among local organizations that rely on federal grants to help tamp down violence.
“We look at the places where there’s concentrated shootings, and then we man those blocks with folks who are from those neighborhoods,” Executive Director Vaughn Bryant said.
This week, the Department of Justice announced it was terminating more than $800 million in grants to support police and victims of crime. Vaughn said that would have a local impact.
Other cities, including New York, Washington D.C., Miami, San Francisco, Baltimore and Seattle, also are bracing for cuts. The Trump administration says money would be reallocated to support its priorities, which includes protecting sexual assault and trafficking victims and children.
Still, Gregory Jackson, a former White House official on gun violence prevention, says taking money away from community-based organizations could be “devastating.”
“Last year, we saw, on average, a 40% reduction in homicides in cities with over a million residents,” he said. “But if you look at why that happened, the intense drops in homicides are where these community-based organizations were strongest.”
The Justice Department has already restored some grant cuts this week, and Attorney General Pam Bondi said they will continue to ensure that services for victims are not affected.
