Crime in Chicago

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    Homicides 1990-2007  
     1990: 851
     1991: 927
     1992: 943
     1993: 931
     1994: 929
     1995: 827
     1996: 789
     1997: 759
     1998: 704
     1999: 641
     2000: 628
     2001: 666
     2002: 647
     2003: 598
     2004: 448
     2005: 449
     2006: 452
     2007: 435

Crime in Chicago has been tracked by the Chicago Police Department's Bureau of Records since the beginning of the 20th century.

[edit] Overview

Besides its gangland problems, Chicago saw a major rise in violent crime starting in the late 1960s.^[1] Murders in the city peaked first in 1974, with 970 murders when the city's population was over three million, resulting in a murder rate of around 29 per 100,000, and again in 1992, with 943 murders when the city had fewer than three million people, resulting in a murder rate of 34 per 100,000.

Following 1992, the murder count slowly decreased to 705 by 1999. In 2002, Chicago had fewer number of murders but a significantly higher murder rate than New York or Los Angeles, a situation which city police attributed to entrenched gang violence.^[2]

[edit] Violent crime

Violent crime rates by neighborhood

In 1916, 198 homicides were recorded in Chicago, for a city of slightly over 2 million. This level of crime was not exceptional when compared to other American cities such as New York City, but it was much higher relative to European cities, such as London. Although three times the size, London recorded only 45 homicides in the same year. Specialists have developed numerous theories for the higher rates of violence in the US.^[3]

Like other major industrial cities in the US, Chicago had a major rise in violent crime starting in the late 1960s. Like most major American cities, Chicago has also experienced a decline in overall crime since the 1990s.^[4] Murders in the city peaked first in 1974, with 970 murders when the city's population was over three million (resulting in a murder rate of around 29 per 100,000), and again in 1992, with 943 murders when the city had fewer than three million people, resulting in a murder rate of 34 per 100,000. Following 1992, the murder count slowly decreased to 705 by 1999. That year it still had the most murders of any big city in the U.S.^[5]

After adopting crime-fighting techniques recommended by Los Angeles' and New York City Police Departments in 2004,^[6] Chicago recorded 448 homicides, the lowest total since 1965. This murder rate of 15.65 per 100,000 population is still above the U.S. average, an average which takes in many small towns and suburbs. Chicago's homicide tally increased slightly in 2005 and 2006 to 450 and 467, respectively, though the overall crime rate in 2006 continued the downward trend that has taken place since the early 1990s, with 2.5% fewer violent crimes and 2.4% fewer property crimes compared to 2005.^[7]

[edit] Police department response

A Chicago police officer

Chicago has been among the first U.S. cities to build an integrated emergency response center to coordinate the city's response to natural disasters, gang violence, or terrorist attacks. Built in 1995, the center is integrated with more than 2000 cameras, communications with all levels of city government, and a direct link to the National Counterterrorism Center. Police credited surveillance cameras with contributing to decreased crime in 2004.^[8]

Recently installed anti-crime cameras are capable of pinpointing gunshot sounds, calculating where the shots were fired, and pointing and zooming the cameras in the direction of the shots within a two block radius.^[9] Since surveillance cameras have been placed in high crime areas, some Chicagoans feel uneasy about being so closely watched, but others believe their street are safer. The cameras have prompted some calls of discrimination since they have been placed in areas of gang activity and high gun violence, that also are chiefly occupied by Black and Latino communities.^{[citation needed]}

The Mayor is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,^[10] an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

Because the Chicago Police Department tallies data differently than other cities, the FBI often does not accept its crime statistics. The Chicago Police record all criminal sexual assaults, as opposed to only rape. They count aggravated battery together with the standard category of aggravated assault. As a result, Chicago is often omitted from studies such as Morgan Quitno's annual "Safest/Most Dangerous City" survey, which relies on FBI collected data.^[11]

The Chicago Police Department developed CLEARMAP to provide residents of the City of Chicago with a tool to assist them in problem-solving and combating crime and disorder in their neighborhoods. It is based upon the CLEAR (Citizen Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting) system developed by the Department for use by its police officers. This web application enables citizens to search the Chicago Police Department's database of reported crime. Individuals will be able to see maps, graphs, and tables of reported crime. The database contains 90 days of information which can be accessed in blocks of up to 14 days. Data is refreshed daily. However, the most recent information is always 7 days old.

Numbers of murders (homicides) in Chicago per year:[3]

• 1990: 851
• 1991: 927
• 1992: 943
• 1993: 931
• 1994: 929
• 1995: 827
• 1996: 789
• 1997: 759
• 1998: 704
• 1999: 641
• 2000: 628
• 2001: 666
• 2002: 647
• 2003: 598
• 2004: 448
• 2005: 449
• 2006: 467
• 2007: 435
• Total:12639

[edit] Organized crime

Main article: Organized crime in Chicago

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Lesy, Michael (2007). Murder City: The Bloody History of Chicago in the Twenties. W. W. Norton. ISBN 0393060306. 

[edit] External links

• Chicago Police Department
• CPD crime map generator
• ChicagoCrime.org
• Chicago homicide map generator