Felony crime down in Kane County

The number of felony arrests in Kane County last year was down 12 percent from 2009 and about 18 percent from the record set in 2007.

Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said his office authorized 3,158 felony charges in 2010, a decrease from the 3,588 charged in 2009.

The record is 3,846 felony cases charged in 2007.

One factor for the decline is that obstruction of justice — such as giving a police officer a fake name — is a misdemeanor instead of a felony.

Also, in summer 2007, Kane County authorities worked with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to charge 31 gang members with 22 “cold case” murders ranging from 1989 to 2005.

McMahon said studies indicate a spike in crime as economic conditions worsen.

“This is counter to that trend,” McMahon said Tuesday.

The number of felony charges is part of the office’s annual report, which will be released next week.

McMahon said arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol are down 13 percent from two years ago, which he attributes to increasing awareness about the consequences of drunken driving.

Last year, there were 1,887 DUI arrests compared to 2,069 in 2009 and 2,173 in 2008.

Also, 40 people have been accepted for the county’s new Domestic Violence Diversion Program. In it, misdemeanor domestic violence arrestees could have their records expunged if they plead guilty, attend counseling and stay out of trouble for 10 years.

Forty-five people are waiting to get into the program and no one has been kicked out so far.

Overall, Kane has two other diversion programs — one for nonviolent first-time felony offenders and another for misdemeanor offenders for marijuana and underage drinking. About 77 percent of people who are accepted into those two programs complete the program successfully.

“It’s a program that I think has great benefits and one we have to watch closely,” McMahon said. “It has a positive generational impact as well if you can break that cycle of violence.”