Are you talking about the table under "Yearly Murder Trend"? Of course the 1989 entry is the highest; it's the longest period. The only other period on that table of comparable length is 1955 - 1976, with about 3700 less homicides but also a much smaller city.
The line chart above the table clearly backs up the statement you were replying to. From 1968 through 2001 Chicago never had a year with less than 600 homicides. Yes, this year has seen a sharp uptick for some reason. It is still the first time in 15 years Chicago has broken that 600 threshold. This year notwithstanding Chicago has been significantly safer this millennium than it was when most of the people on this site were kids.
