Naperville police reporting drop in most crimes

A reduction in most crimes so far this year in Naperville could be the one good thing attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said.

The Naperville Police Department on Tuesday released mid-year crime figures that show decreases compared to last year's midpoint totals in both Part I crimes, which are considered serious and violent, and lesser Part II crimes.

For the Part II category, which includes issues such as drug crimes, financial crimes, disorderly conduct, interference with public officers, offenses involving children, sex offenses and motor vehicle offenses, police said in a news release, “Our department believes COVID-19 has played a factor in this reduction.”

Part II crimes decreased 17% from the first six months of 2019 to the first six months of 2020, statistics show. The total drop includes a 93% decrease in drug paraphernalia offenses (six so far this year compared with 81 during the first half of last year); a 79% decrease in interfering with public officers (11, down from 53); and a 34% decrease in motor vehicle offenses (124 this year, down from 188).

Police said more people working from home has meant fewer drivers on the roads, leading to fewer vehicle-related offenses. Similarly, police said, less social contact because of people sheltering in place has created fewer opportunities for financial crimes such as identity theft, deception and forgery, which decreased 18% from last year.

Part I crimes also fell by 4.2% compared with the first half of last year, police said. The decrease comes despite a string of convenience store robberies early this year that contributed to a 138% increase in armed robberies (19 this year, up from 8) and a 117% increase in burglaries to vehicles (180 this year, up from 83 last year).

Police said they have made several arrests this year that account for more than 40 cases of burglaries to vehicles, and detectives continue to follow up. They said unlocked doors were involved in 86% of the burglary to motor vehicle cases reported so far this year.

“Our police officers and staff, partnered with our community members, have done a great job addressing crime in our city. However, we continue to need help from members of our community to drive crime down,” police said in a news release. “Residents are encouraged to get involved with our police department, continue reporting suspicious activity immediately to 911 and always lock up their belongings.”