Chicago saw a sharp increase in homicides last year: 58 percent more than in 2015. Only a few weeks into 2017, the homicide rate in the city is already higher than it was at the same time last year.

What’s driving this increase? A recent report from the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab eliminated some of the more popular theories and concluded there was no definitive reason.

Experts at the violence-reduction program Ceasefire took issue with the report and said they knew exactly why homicides are on the rise in Chicago: insufficient state funding for their program. According to Dr. Gary Slutkin, founder of Ceasefire, the state’s budget crisis has crippled Ceasefire’s operations in Chicago, making them unable to intervene and prevent violence in communities before it starts. 

Morning Shift spoke Dr. Slutkin about his take on the root of violence in Chicago and the path forward.