Illinois quick hits: Leaders take credit for lower Chicago crime

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Leaders take credit for lower Chicago crime

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says 2025 was one of the safest years the city has had in decades.

Through Dec. 30, Chicago recorded 416 homicides, fewer than any year since 1965. The city also reported fewer shootings, robberies and vehicular hijackings.

The mayor’s office credited the combined work of Chicago Police, Community Violence Intervention partners, community-based organizations and the Johnson administration’s “strategic investments.”

President Donald Trump said Sunday that federal law enforcement helped bring down crime in Chicago.

Orland Park considers Amazon proposal

Orland Park officials say the village’s plan commission will meet Tuesday to consider Amazon’s proposal for a retail development and warehouse component in the suburb southwest of Chicago.

The plan would involve the redevelopment of roughly 229,000 square feet.

Village officials said projected sales tax revenue from the proposed commercial development would more than cover the costs associated with street expansion in the area near 159th Street and LaGrange Road.

Veterans home hiring

The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, and the Illinois Department of Employment Security are recruiting for more than 60 full and part-time positions at the state’s veterans home in Quincy.

The agencies are holding a job fair at the home on Thursday, Jan. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The state held a ribbon-cutting at the nearly $300-million rebuilt Illinois Veterans Home in October.