Chicago Police say crime in the Second City dropped significantly in 2009 (Chicago Public Radio). Overall reported crime (misdemeanors and felonies) was down 8.8 percent from last year - and nearly 30 percent compared to the year 2000.
Superintendent Jody Weiss attributes the 10.5 percent decline in homicides to an increase in gun seizures:
"We've taken one unit, the gang enforcement unit, put 'em under citywide control. Through their efforts they took in one thousand-five weapons."
But the first question we should ask is how they arrived at that figure. Were fewer crimes reported to the police? Were fewer crimes solved and successfully prosecuted? Does the force not have enough officers on the streets, resulting in lower arrest rates? Statistics are important but meaningless without context.
For reasons that are unclear, the Federal Bureau of Investigation routinely dismisses crime data from the state of Illinois, which may tell you something about the quality of the data. Or maybe it's just another, perhaps even better, system that simply isn't compatible with other systems.
We should all be proud that Chicago shows a statistical decline in crime, but that 8.8 percent rate of decline is not set in stone.
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ClearMap, Citizen Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (Chicago Police Dept.)
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Chicago Crime, by Neighborhood (EveryBlock Chicago)
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Find a Chicago Criminal Attorney (FindLaw)
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