Jul 2023

Webinar: Overview of the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard

Kim Smith

The Crime Lab hosted a webinar featuring a deep dive into the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard.

Launched in May 2021 by the City of Chicago, with design and technical support from the Crime Lab, the Dashboard is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive tool that allows unfettered public access to city violence trends categorizable by victim type, date, and geographic area.

In a city as large as Chicago, in which the state of public safety is always evolving, the Dashboard’s accessible, detailed, and up-to-date data on violence allows those working on community safety to analyze current trends, identify promising solutions, and target their services.

The webinar featured insights from Elvis Ortega, Senior Recovery Program Manager, Chicago Department of Public Health, and Noé Flores, Assistant Director, Strategic Initiatives Division – 138, Chicago Police Department.

View the webinar slides and watch the recording below.

Related Resources
Violence Reduction Dashboard
Data Tool

Violence Reduction Dashboard

Jul 2023

The Violence Reduction Dashboard is hosted on the City of Chicago’s website and is associated with the City’s Open Data Portal.

Violence Reduction Dashboard Resource Guide
Data Tool

Violence Reduction Dashboard Resource Guide

Apr 2022

Latest Updates

How a study in the Stockholm subway could help prevent violent crime
Op-Ed
New Scientist
May 2025

How a study in the Stockholm subway could help prevent violent crime

We need to learn the lessons from an ingenious piece of research done in Sweden and radically change policies around interpersonal violence, says UChicago Crime Lab director Jens Ludwig.

‘Definitely a cause for hope’ UChicago economist says of new book on causes of gun violence
Op-Ed
WBEZ Chicago
May 2025

‘Definitely a cause for hope’ UChicago economist says of new book on causes of gun violence

America has a fundamental misunderstanding of what drives gun violence, and it’s prevented us from solving the problem. That’s according to the new book “Unforgiving Places”, by University of Chicago economist and Crime Lab director Jens Ludwig.

Understanding Gun Violence in America
Q&A
Economics Applied
May 2025

Understanding Gun Violence in America

Steve Davies and Jens Ludwig discuss why America has so many gun deaths, how traditional narratives fail to explain most gun violence, and why past policies failed to reduce the deadly toll. Ludwig speaks about his new book, grounded in evidence and behavioral insights to further explain gun violence.