McHenry County sheriff candidates debate crime statistics

Mike Mahon launched his campaign for McHenry County Sheriff with his number one campaign issue being incumbent Keith Nygren.

In a news release last week he let loose his most recent offensive, highlighting crime statistics and comparing McHenry to its neighboring counties. Mahon said McHenry is the only one that hasn't managed to reduce crime between 2000 and 2008.

"Our neighbors seem to know how to reduce crime," Mahon said in the release. "I wish they would let Sheriff Nygren in on the secret."

Mahon looked at "crime index" statistics, which show a 5.6 percent increase in the overall number of murders, sexual assaults, robberies, assaults, batteries, burglaries, vehicle thefts and arsons in McHenry County starting with 1997 when Nygren took office through 2008. That is compared to a decrease in Cook County of 34 percent, in Kane County of almost 30 percent and a statewide decrease of almost 28 percent.

A different measure of crime, the "crime rate" statistics take into account the actual number of incidents but pair them with population changes, giving a crime rate per 100,000 people. Nygren noted this statistic is more telling and that crime in McHenry County in fact decreased during the period to which Mahon referred.

"You have to consider the population swing up and down," Nygren said. "He's conveniently not doing that. He's trying to get the figures to say something that he wants them to say."

Using the "crime rate" statistics, every county in the area, including McHenry, saw a decrease in crime. But Mahon doesn't think this second statistic changes his argument.

Mahon said in surrounding counties actual crime is down but in McHenry it has continued to go up or remain the same. This is something he said he would combat as sheriff, partially through restructuring the department.

"When I get in, I'll tweak manpower, I'll re-manage and put it in other areas," Mahon said. "What we'll be doing is putting more officers on the street."

Mahon said in recent weeks that he could walk make at least $1 million in cuts to the department, but so far has refused to discuss his plan publicly, even after being asked twice during a meeting with the Daily Herald editorial board this week.

Gus Philpott, the Green candidate for sheriff, hadn't researched crime statistics but said keeping traffic under control is a way to keep down other crime. He doesn't mean handing out more tickets, necessarily, but he feels officers could make more stops.

"It gives you an opportunity to ask for a license and registration and identify people," Philpott said. "When they know they've been ID'd and they're up to no good, they'll clear out."

Nygren said he and the rest of the department have been successful in addressing crime while he has been sheriff. He pointed to crime prevention programs and outreach programs where officers work with the community to achieve their goals. He said they haven't erased crime, but they have addressed it.

"It's probably an unattainable ideal to have a crime-free society," Nygren said. "But there's a lot of creative ways to approach crime and we've done that."

In terms of the statistics, McHenry and DeKalb counties share the lowest percentage crime decrease among eight counties between 1997 and 2008 with 22 percent. Kane County saw the highest decrease, with crime falling 48 percent per 100,000 people.

Crime stats

Democratic McHenry County sheriff candidate Mike Mahon wonders why the county's number of crimes has not dropped as it has in surrounding counties since Sheriff Keith Nygren took office in 1997. A look at those numbers compared to population illustrates that the crime rate in McHenry County actually dropped.

Raw crime index

Crime index per 100,000 pop.

County 1997 2008 % change 1997 2008 % change

Boone 1,020 1,100 +8% 2,728 2,055 -25%

Cook 372,575 245,604 -34% 7,206 4,647 -36%

DeKalb 2,804 2,739 -2% 3,392 2,641 -22%

DuPage 24,407 20,684 -15% 2,800 2,068 -25%

Kane 17,054 11,955 -30% 4,562 2,386 -48%

Lake 18,497 15,134 -18% 3,157 2,131 -32%

McHenry 5,410 5,712 +6% 2,322 1,808 -22%

Will 14,830 13,743 -7% 3,461 2,040 -45%

Statewide 630,934 456,359 -28% 5,280 3,551 -33%

Note: Total crime index includes murder, sexual assault, robbery, assault, battery, burglary, vehicle theft and arson.

Source: Illinois State Police crime statistics