Elgin crime continues downward trend, police data shows
Crime in Elgin continues to be at historic lows, with a 4.6 percent decrease in violent crime and a less than 1 percent decrease in overall crime in 2017, according to data released Friday by the police department.
"As we've grown in size and population, we continue to have less crime," Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said. "Our focus this year is going to be more outreach, more technology and continuing with problem-solving efforts."
There were two murders last year in Elgin - a city that has about 112,000 residents - with arrests in both cases, just like in 2016. In the last 10 years, there has been an average of three murders per year. Elgin has been compiling crime data since 1972; violent crime is at a 46-year low, police said.
Robberies and batteries decreased by 13 percent, rapes and criminal sexual assaults increased by 8 percent, and assaults increased by 12 percent.
There were 28 incidents of shots fired - 17 in the east side, 11 in the west side - or a 56 percent decrease from 2016. Six of those shootings resulted in injuries, and police made arrests in three of those cases.
The injured victims were the intended targets in all but one shooting, Swoboda said. That case involved a ride-share driver and its motive remains unclear, he said.
"The average everyday citizen that is not involved in gangs, that is not involved in drugs, that is not involved in crime is not getting shot," Deputy Chief Bill Wolf said.
This year, police will work to encourage residents to get video security systems triggered by their doorbells, Wolf said. Some manufacturers offer a social network component that sends out alerts that include video.
"You can report suspicious people, and neighbors can comment and say, 'I know that person,'" Wolf said.
As for nonviolent crimes, there was a decrease in arson, burglaries and car burglaries - more than half involving unlocked car doors - and an increase in thefts and car thefts.
The department abides by the rules of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting, which state that multiple car burglaries in a short time on the same block are filed under one report, Police Director of Administration Russ Matson said. That doesn't happen often, he said.
Car thefts increased by 10 percent, and nearly three out of four cases involved keys left in the ignition or someone taking keys.
The department has increased its neighborhood officers to 13, while decreasing its resident officers to 4, Swoboda said. Having officers monitor specific neighborhoods is just as effective, and less costly, than having them live in city-owned housing, he said.
To increase its community outreach, police plan to create a youth advisory committee and an "EPD ambassadors" program, Cmdr. Ana Lalley said.
About 95 percent of officers are equipped with body cameras that started rolling out last summer. It's too early too tell if those will have an effect on crime, she said.