COVID pushes overall crime down in Kane, but child abuse cases spike
Misdemeanor and felony cases in Kane County are down in March and April 2020 compared to last year, but abuse and neglect cases against children have spiked, State's Attorney Joe McMahon said during his monthly media meeting.
The number of reported cases involving children are up even though educators, who often are the first line of defense in reporting abuse, have been removed from the picture with the COVID-19 stay-at-home order in place since March 20, McMahon said.
"It's alarming on a number of levels. Families are more isolated," he said. "It takes a toll on people. It takes a toll on their mental health."
In April 2019, Kane County prosecutors filed seven abuse and neglect cases for children. In April 2020, there were 15 cases. In March 2019, there were 16 cases, compared to 22 cases in March 2020, he said.
Normally, McMahon said, educators and school officials are among the first to spot signs of abuse and to call the Department of Children and Family Services. With this safeguard removed, more and more local police are initiating these cases when called.
March and April 2019 saw 190 and 204 felony cases, respectively, compared to 213 felony cases in March 2020 and 145 felony cases in April 2020. For misdemeanors, March 2019 saw 300 cases compared to 180 in March 2020; in April 2019, there were 272 cases compared to 198 in April 2020.
McMahon's office did not have statistics of domestic battery cases during those time frames.
May also is Mental Health Awareness Month and organizations such as the Family Service Association of Greater Elgin have worked to provide access to counseling and other services remotely and through video conferencing. They also a bracing for an increase in referrals after the stay-at-home order ends.
Janeth Barba, clinical director for the association, said it's important for people and families to acknowledge they are in a state of crisis and try to maintain as much routine as possible. Staying informed but not ingesting too much bad news on the TV also is good. "It's finding a balance," Barba said. "We're in crisis and we're going to do things we may not have done before."