The city of Chicago recently reached the unfavorable milestone of 400 murders this calendar year. However, the 406 total murders this year, a number that comes from Chicago Police Department statistics, means that homicides in 2012 have started to level off compared to past years.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports today that there are 28 percent more murders through the end of September 2012 then the through the end of September 2011. What the Sun-Times doesn't mention in their story is that last year's murder rate was the lowest in the city since 1965.

Meanwhile, other violent crimes are down this year compared to last in most major felony categories, such as sexual assault and aggravated robbery.

As PI has reported, day-to-day or month-to-month violent statistics do not necessarily suggest a larger trend. And citywide murder rates say nothing about the huge disparity in violence between neighborhoods. But it's worth noting these more positive police department statistics, given the press the murder rate received this spring when it was up 66 percent compared to last year.