Safety index · Chicago · data through July 2026
Is West Garfield Park safe?
West Garfield Park records a high level of reported crime for Chicago. Its SafeRoute safety index is 29 out of 100 — 23 points below the citywide median of 52, ranking 73rd of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 1,703 incidents reported to the Chicago Police Department within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
The largest reported category here is violent crime (29% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 29% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 19% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 492 · 29% | |
| Drugs | 328 · 19% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 186 · 11% | |
| Other theft | 200 · 12% | |
| Weapons possession | 81 · 5% | |
| Vehicle crime | 134 · 8% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in West Garfield Park at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- East Garfield Park34/100 · Elevated
- North Lawndale26/100 · Elevated
- Humboldt Park30/100 · Elevated
- Austin35/100 · Elevated
- South Lawndale55/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is West Garfield Park safe at night?
Elevated overall (safety index 29/100). About 48% of severity-weighted incidents in West Garfield Park are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a block or two of detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in West Garfield Park?
Violent crime — 492 of 1,703 incidents (29%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the West Garfield Park safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the Chicago Police Department by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety.