Chicago Police: March 2019 Crime Summary

CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES FIVE-YEAR LOW IN CITYWIDE SHOOTINGS FOR MARCH

Additional police officers, more community partnerships and technological advancements build on 20-year lows in robberies, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts

Chicago's crime reduction efforts continued to pay dividends in March, as murders, robberies and burglaries all posted double-digit percentage reductions compared to 2018. These declines contributed to a near 20-year low in citywide burglaries, robberies and motor vehicle theft year to date. 

Taking the long view, Chicago has seen fewer shootings in 24 out of the last 25 months. These monthly figures are reflected in the annual shooting statistics, as shootings fell 21.8 percent from 2016 to 2017, 14 percent from 2017 to 2018, and continue to decline this year. Over the past three years, murders have dropped by 52 percent. 

Here are some additional highlights:

Q1 Highlights: 

• Year to date, burglaries, robberies and motor vehicle theft are at 20-year lows citywide.
• Shootings are down 17 percent through Q1, compared to the same period of time last year.
• Murders are down 30 percent through Q1, compared to the same period of time last year.

To continue the momentum, CPD added more manpower in March with 297 new officers graduating from the police academy. This same graduation ceremony also recognized 68 officers who received supervisory promotions.

This human capital was compounded by officers continuing to get comfortable with the new technology concentrated within the department's Strategic Decision Support Centers (SDSC). Video footage from security cameras, license plate readers and more are coupled with gunshot detection systems to create a suite of resources for police arriving to developing scenes and investigating crimes. Since the SDSC model's implementation, gun violence is down 44 percent, and shootings are down 41 percent throughout Chicago.

 "The Chicago Police Department continued to make progress towards reducing crime throughout the city in March," said Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson. "We still have more work to do, but I believe the additional officers on the street and our new technology is making Chicago a safer place. The community plays a vital role in this too, as we cannot effectively safeguard our neighborhoods without the help of those living on every block."

Gun seizures on pace to surpass record figures posted in 2018

 Chicago Police have seized nearly 2,000 guns already in 2019, putting the department on pace to surpass last year's figures, which were at a five-year high. Included in these seizures are nearly 100 assault weapons, up 20 percent from the number of assault weapons seized year-to-date in 2018.

Last year, CPD took more than 9,500 illegal guns off the city streets. Thus far in 2019, officers have already seized 10 percent more guns than in the first quarter of 2018. And while there is still work to be done, CPD's continued efforts to take guns off the street is believed to be contributing to the overall drop in shootings.

 Community Policing District Strategic Planning Meetings gather neighborhood input

The Office of Community Policing, also known as CAPS, held meetings in each of the 22 police districts in March to create Community Policing District Strategic Plans. These individualized plans are meant to serve as a blueprint for the year's priorities in each district. Nearly 1,300 residents attended these events throughout the city.

The second round of these meetings began March 25, as district leaders returned with a draft of the plan based on the feedback from the initial meetings. The second round is meant to delve deeper to find areas of collaboration on specific ideas aimed at reducing crime and improving community engagement.

CPD commemorates 365 new and promoted officers at graduation ceremony

Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Superintendent Johnson celebrated the graduation of 297 new officers and the promotion of 68 officers to supervisor positions during a graduation ceremony on March 26 at Chicago's Navy Pier. The latest class is comprised of 59 percent of new officers from minority backgrounds, 29 percent are women and 37 percent are Chicago Public School graduates. These new officers build upon Emanuel and Johnson's 2016 pledge to add 970 new officers over a two-year period. This goal was surpassed late last year, and CPD continues to grow its rank and file on top of replacing officers who have either retired or moved on from the department.

Superintendent at International Intelligence Summit in Dubai

Superintendent Johnson traveled to Dubai from March 15-22 to share Chicago's approach to incorporating data, technology and community policing into efforts to drive down crime. Johnson was one of several law enforcement leaders invited to the city within the United Arab Emirates to share best practices and bring lessons back to their respective communities. The use of artificial intelligence and strategies to combat cybercrime were among the items on the agenda.

CPD invests in technology, resources and personnel to improve clearance rates

CPD continues to invest in the technology, personnel and resources required to solve crime and improve the clearance rate through the launch of the Department’s first Area Tech Center (ATC) in Area South.

The ability to efficiently identify, collect, download and review all available video resources (i.e. evidence) connected to a crime scene had long remained an obstacle toward clearing investigations and solving crime in Chicago. The ATC model will now help efficiently pull these resources together to support investigations conducted by CPD’s Bureau of Detectives.

Each ATC will be staffed by a technology team, comprised of detectives and patrol officers who support every investigation. The ATC team will also be responsible for collecting, downloading, processing and analyzing video from private video surveillance systems, witness cell phone videos and photos, POD cameras, red light cameras, CTA archives and the recovery of the cell phone data, either from the actual device or their historical phone usage. Additional ATCs are slated to roll out citywide in 2019.

Applications being accepted for those interested in joining CPD

The application process for joining CPD will open April 1 with the entry exam scheduled for May 31 and June 1. For the first time, Chicago is partnering with the City Colleges to hold the exam at Malcolm X College. The move was made in an effort to make the exam more accessible for people from all parts of the city.

CPD is also expanding the number of tests given each day to three exam sessions, versus just two sessions. Applicants are also allowed to select which date they prefer to take the exam. In previous years, the test dates were assigned. Two more exam dates are also planned in 2019.