advertisement

Elgin police report rise in serious crimes, gunfire incidents in 2024

Serious crimes and gunfire incidents in Elgin were up in 2024, according to the city’s newly released annual crime report.

Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley said that while the crime rate went up last year, a decades-long decline in crime in the city continues.

“Part of the numbers being up is proactive enforcement,” Lalley said. “We continue to work on our strategies to keep a safe community.”

The 2024 report shows a 17% rise in serious crimes like assault and theft and an uptick in gunfire incidents compared to 2023.

Serious crimes in Elgin have risen during each of the last four years. Courtesy of the Elgin Police Department

Crime analyst Ryan Drake said while the numbers of what are categorized as “Part One” crimes by the Uniform Crime Reporting program are up, they still fall within the expected variability of the 36-year downward trend beginning in 1989.

“Nothing is ever a straight line when it comes to crime statistics,” he said.

Those crime stats are divided into the more serious “Group A” crimes — defined as crimes against persons, property, and society — and “Group B” offenses, which are less serious crimes that are often officer-initiated activities like traffic stops.

Group A crimes like murder, aggravated assault, arson, burglary, motor vehicle theft, robbery, sex offenses, and drug violations were up 7% in 2024 over 2023, with the biggest rises in assaults and theft.

Group B offenses were up 12%, with most of the crimes falling into an “all other offenses” category made up of violations like not having a valid driver’s license, leaving the scene of an accident, resisting a peace officer or violating an order of protection.

Gunfire incidents, a frequent topic of Elgin residents on social media, were up by 13 over 2023 with 65 cases. The rise ends a three-year downward trend from a high of 66 in 2021.

Unlike many neighboring communities, the Elgin Police Department reports all gunfire incidents where evidence is found, regardless of whether or not a person or property was struck.

Ana Lalley

Lalley knows there’s good and bad when it comes to the openness of the way they report gunfire.

“Before I became chief, we would only put out information if somebody was struck. The problem with that is then it gives this false impression that gunfire activity isn’t happening, and it is,” she said. “Our philosophy is to be open, honest, transparent and answer the questions, but let people know we have a strategy.”

Of the 65 cases, 21 were either definitely or possibly gang-related. Twenty-four cases have been cleared with “arrests, adjudication, or other exceptional means,” while another 28 remain unsolved, with all investigative leads exhausted. The rest remain under investigation.

There were 14 gunshot victims with the 65 incidents.

The city recorded eight homicides in 2024. Two of the cases involved murder-suicides, one was deemed self-defense, and one case is still awaiting a coroner’s report. Aside from the case pending a coroner’s report, all the cases were closed by arrest or death of the offender.

Lalley said the department has several new initiatives for 2025, including the implementation of live 911, which allows officers to hear a call as it’s happening.

The department is rolling out an AI program called Draft One, which will transcribe audio from body-worn cameras directly into police reports.

They’re also revamping the ROPE program, including adding a ROPE “tiny house” that can be transported to any neighborhood in the city.

Recruiting efforts in recent years have added more representation for women and Hispanics on the force, Lalley said. In 2018 only 9% of officers were female and 13% Hispanic. Female officers now make up 23% of the police force, and 27% of officers are Hispanic.

“Our hiring philosophy here is very simple — good head, good hearts,” she said. “I don’t care (about) anything else.”

Lalley said that while turnover from retirements and many new hires have changed the faces around the department, their performance hasn’t diminished, and their connection to the community has grown stronger.

“We have exceptional people. I see it every day,” she said. “The work that gets done, the innovation, the creativity, how we engage with the community, I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.