Public safety was front and center during Chicago’s mayoral race. Ultimately, voters chose Brandon Johnson who promised a smarter approach to policing coupled with investment to address the root causes of violence. 

“Over 90 percent of the youth gun violence victims are no longer enrolled in school at the time when they become victims, so one area that we can focus on is really directly engaging those young people,” said Roseanna Ander, executive director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab.

Across the city, Chicago residents have varied perspectives on policing, but agree on the need for change. 

In this WGN-TV Cover Story, Gaynor Hall takes a closer look at public perceptions on crime and what comes next. 

Producer Tyra Martin and photojournalists Ted Parra and Nelson Howard contributed to this report.