Chicago has recorded nearly 800 criminal homicides just before the New Year’s Eve holiday, according to police, marking a small increase over last year and a more than 60% increase from 2019.

       “We all know this has been a challenging year here in the city of Chicago,” said Chicago police Superintendent David Brown, speaking to reporters Thursday at a year-end news conference at the department’s South Side headquarters.

       “Too many families are reeling from the loss of loved ones due to senseless gun violence.”

       Brown touted what he said were the department’s accomplishments over the past year. He said officers seized $500 million in narcotics, $25 million in currency and more than 12,000 guns, more than the department has ever recovered.

       But homicides remained stubbornly up, with 794 as of Wednesday. Brown said the figure marked about a 3% increase over last year. Shootings, too, were up, with 3,538 so far this year, about a 9% increase over last year.

       Police Department data does not include shootings on highways, which are investigated by the Illinois State Police. As of Dec. 22, the state police had investigated 253 reports of shootings in Chicagoland and on Cook County expressways, including 22 that involved fatalities, according to state police Sgt. Delila Garcia.

       Shootings have shot up since early 2020, more than doubling in 2021 over 2019, before the pandemic. Carjackings also rose the past two years after dipping in 2019.

       Looking ahead to New Year’s Eve, Brown said the department canceled days off for officers to ensure enough patrols in retail areas, on the CTA and in neighborhoods. Like the city as a whole, the department has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases taking officers out of commission.

       “We are managing around that,” he said.

       Brown laid out department goals for 2022, including increasing recruitment efforts to bring in more job applications. He also hopes to bolster the ranks of homicide and violent crime detectives. There are currently about 1,100 such detectives, with a caseload of about 5.5 cases per detective.

       “That’s too high,” he said.

       The department aims to bring detectives to 1,300, with an average caseload of about 3.5, in line with expert recommendations. Officials will also beef up the carjacking task force, he said.

       Brown also said the department is working on staffing clinicians in all 22 police districts in 2022, emphasizing a push for resources for officer mental health and well being. He commended officers for working during difficult times, and mentioned the death this year of Officer Ella French.

       He said 75 officers have been shot, or shot at, in 2021, including two who were fired upon on Christmas Eve.

       “CPD too continues to grieve the loss of our officers, and the serious injuries of our officers,” he said.

       mabuckley@chicagotribune.com

       Chicago has recorded nearly 800 homicides heading into New Year’s Eve, top cop says

       2h

       CPS CEO ‘very comfortable’ with return to schools next week as COVID-19 spikes but says individual classrooms may shift to remote learning if cases climb higher

       2h

       Politics Gov. J.B. Pritzker urges hospitals to halt nonemergency surgeries amid record-breaking COVID-19 spike; lieutenant governor infected and driver’s facilities to close

       3h

       Horoscopes Daily horoscope for December 30, 2021

       12:00 AM

       Elite Street WLS-Channel 7 political reporter Craig Wall sells Naperville home, moves to Aurora

       1:16 PM