Authorities in Chicago say the homicide total for the month of February tied its fourth-lowest total in over 50 years.
The Huffington Post reports that there were just 20 homicides last month, the equaling city's fourth-lowest total for February dating back to 1957. This included a weekend when there were no shootings—a rarity.
This marks the beginning of a trend, as January homicides were down by 50 percent compares to 2013, a year in which the city recorded its fewest homicides since 1965. Last month, police noted that cold weather contributed to the drop in murders, a sentiment that Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy elaborated on.
"[Cold weather] doesn't cause or prevent crime," he explained to ABC Chicago today. "What it does is it sets up conditions where there are less people on the street and less likely that we'll have—particularly gang-related—violence."
The Huffington Post notes that murders and shootings are down 25 and 38 percent respectively in the city so far this year.
[via The Huffington Post and ABC Chicago]
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