last year, a 46% decrease. reporter: 2013 was a great year for the entire police force overall. crime was down nearly 25% from 2012, and the murder rate was the lowest since 1967. it s hard not to be pleased, but, you know, we re not satisfied. reporter: some of the credit goes to chicago police superintendent gary mccarthy who was brought in two years ago by mayor rahm emanuel. mccarthy and emanuel made sweeping changes that now seem to be paying off including some major changes at the police department. moving cops from behind the desk out onto the street. officers doing foot patrol. an interdiction strategy on gangs so there s no reprisal shootings. reporter: besides policing, the city has invested in more after-school programs and this year doubled the size of its summer jobs program. it s also putting pressure on parents to keep better tabs on their kids. yeah, get close to home now. it s starting to get late, boys.
emanuel. they made sweeping changes that now seem to be paying off, including major changes at the police department. moving cops from behind the desk out onto the street. officers doing foot patrol. the interdiction strategy on gangs. besides policing the city has invested in more after school programs and this year, doubled the size of its summer jobs program. it s also putting pressure on parents to keep better tabs on their kids. get close to home now, it s starting to get late, boys. several heartbreaking stories in 2013, including the killing of 15-year-old hadiya peterson, shot after taking her final exam. president obama talked about her in his state of the union. she was shot and killed in a park just a mile away from my house. the biggest problem still facing chicago is illegal guns and the lack of accountability
commanders and change have the approach to fighting crime. moving cops from behind the desk out on to the street. officers doing foot patrol. an interdiction strategy on gangs so there are no reprisal shootings. reporter: the city has invest in the more afterschool programs and doubled the size of its summer jobs program. it is putting pressure on parents to keep better tabs on their kids. it is all coming together in one monstrous thunder clap. the goal is to keep making it better. the biggest problem is illegal guns and the lack of accountability for those caught with one. change could save lives, he says, including inning victims like 15-year-old, an honor student shot near president obama s neighborhood of hyde park after taking a final exam. her alleged killer pled guilty to illegal possession of a firearm in november of 2012.