Overall Crime in Chicago Continues to Decrease in Every Major Category for 2006

Attributing its success to strong community partnerships and an intense focus on aggressive violence reduction strategies, the Chicago Police Department today released preliminary 2006 crime data that analyzes some of the violent index crime and murder trends compared to 2005 totals.

Violent crime and property crime are projected to reach a 15-year low in Chicago. The trend of violent crime in other large cities across America for the first six months of 2006 is continuing to rise, according to recently released national FBI crime report data.

According to the FBI report, violent crime increased 3.7 percent. In Chicago, violent crime decreased 3 percent for the first 11 months of the year. This year will mark another year that crime continues to decline in Chicago with fewer violent crime victims compared to 2005.

"Fewer victims means safer communities. Fifteen consecutive years with decreases in crime is a real accomplishment. Three years under the 500 mark for homicides is also unprecedented progress. When violent crime is down, the potential for violence and homicides is less likely to occur," said Chicago Police Superintendent Philip J. Cline.

"We hope that the final numbers soon to be released in January will confirm yet another year's progress," he added.

Sexual Assaults, Aggravated Assaults, Aggravated Batteries, Burglaries and Robberies are all categories where decreases have continued on a downward trend for the last 11 months and are projected to remain at a decrease for the end of 2006.

Nationally, Aggravated Assaults and Batteries increased 1.2 percent; Robberies increased 9.7 percent, and Burglaries increased 1.2 for the first six months of the year.

In Chicago, for the first 11 months of the year, Aggravated Assaults and Batteries decreased by 4.5 percent; Robberies decreased 0.6 percent and burglaries decreased 6.3 percent.

Last year, the Chicago Police Department began a series of violence reduction strategies that included the use of technology, camera surveillance, street intelligence and community feedback to deploy resources in the areas most prone to violence.

While homicides are projected to slightly increase by approximately 3 percent over last year's 40-year low, the increase will still keep the homicide total under 500 for the third consecutive year for Chicago's population. That rate translates into one homicide per every 6,309 citizens. If the trend holds, homicides will remain the lowest in 40 years.

Authorities have examined recent data that may have contributed to some of the increases in the murder rate.

Recent data show that nearly half of all murders citywide in 2006 were gang-related. Gang retaliations accounted for 7.6 percent of the murders in 2006, an 8.7 percent increase over 2005.

"Despite our progress in reducing violent crime, there are still communities that live in fear of gangs, guns and drugs. One homicide or one shooting is one too many. That's why we will continue to develop innovative crime fighting strategies aimed at curbing gang violence," said Superintendent Cline.

New strategies are geared toward disrupting gang activity in Chicago's violence zones. So far this year, Chicago police have shut down 56 open-air drug markets, with more than 795 targets that included 598 arrests.

Authorities credit the implementation of targeted ongoing strategies that include going after gang members who run drug markets, as well as dispatching targeted-response teams to address specific problems where surges in gang and gun violence are known.

By reducing gang-related violence and moving open-air drug markets off street corners, police believe they can return control of these areas to law abiding citizens.

While achieving decreases in overall crime, the department is also working to continue to reduce crime in other areas including domestic violence, child abuse and hate crimes.

Domestic violence and child abuse accounted for 6.8 percent of murders in 2006, a decrease of 39.7 percent compared to 11.3 percent in 2005.

There were also fewer hate crimes reported in 2006. So far this year, 80 hate crimes have been reported compared to 90 in 2005.

Chicago police have also stepped up efforts to enforce curfew laws and have issued 28.031 curfew violations since December 15. an increase of 31.6 percent compared to the same period last year.

Superintendent Cline emphasized that the department's progress in reducing crime must not come at the expense of the success in building solid. lasting partnerships with residents in all communities. He added that the measure of success in keeping crime down is the result of brave and dedicated police officers who work hand-in-hand with the community they serve on a daily basis. It is the reason crime has gone down every year for more than a decade.