Chicago police say homicides fall to lowest level since 1963

By Fiona Ortiz CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago's police superintendent said on Friday the number of homicides had fallen to the lowest level in five decades so far this year as he sought to dispel the notion that America's third-largest city reigns as the nation's murder capital. Superintendent Garry McCarthy, appearing at a City Council committee hearing, said crime has been dropping in recent years in Chicago. He also disputed allegations that his police department has been manipulating crime statistics to make it seem like Chicago is safer than it really is. The Chicago metropolitan area does not have the highest homicide rate per capita in the United States - New Orleans and Detroit are higher, for example.