A Chicago alderman shared with Fox News Digital on Wednesday that city leaders still aim to redirect funds away from the police department, despite the city once again topping the list as the nation’s homicide capital in 2024. 

“I’ve mentioned this during the terms of the last two mayors as well,” stated 41st Ward Alderman Anthony Napolitano. “It’s not just that the recent administrations are ignoring the issue; they’re deliberately overlooking the crime statistics because their plan … is to portray the police department negatively and minimize the actual crime rates, since their intention is to reduce the police budget.”

In 2024, Chicago recorded 573 homicides, maintaining its position as the national leader in this statistic for the 13th consecutive year. The city’s homicide rate per 100,000 residents was five times that of New York City’s 377 and three times higher than Los Angeles’ 280, as per an analysis by Wirepoints.

Brandon Johnson, mayor of Chicago, during an inauguration ceremony at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on May 15, 2023. (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“The federal government didn’t give us anything when [Democrats] were in office,” he said. “Now when the administration changed, we’re getting absolutely nothing at all because we’re remaining a sanctuary city, which I was adamantly against in my 10 years in office. So this is just one failure after the next.”

Chicago police conduct an investigation after a shooting on Wabash Avenue between Madison and Washington streets on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

He also said that his constituents are furious because in his ward, there is not a lot of violent criminal activity, meaning that police resources are directed away from the district to deal with violent crime elsewhere.

That means when a burglary or other minor crime takes place in the 41st Ward, residents have a more difficult time getting the help they need. 

“So it’s an evolution of just pure bull—- by these people,” he said. “The last two administrations are the worst this city has ever seen.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office.