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| Percentage change in robberies 2007 vs 2013 in Lake View’s four wards. Wrigleyville and Boystown is Ward 44. We have the biggest increase in robberies by percentage and incidents citywide. See all 50 wards’ performance HERE. |
Well, we keep hearing about crime in Lake View being down. Sometimes the spin artists will quote “19th district” statistics instead, just to mix things up.
Unfortunately, things in our neighborhood are much different from the rest of Lake View and the rest of the 19th district.
Of the 50 Chicago wards, our 44th ward has seen the smallest percentage decrease in crime and the biggest increase in robberies since 2007.
As recently as yesterday, the Howard Brown Health Center cited Lake View crime numbers as evidence that there is no problem around here, writing
In addition, violent crimes are down 10%, property crimes are down 30%, and quality of life crimes are down 50% over this same time last year across Lakeview.
And 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney was as proud as a peacock in his recent email newsletter:
Overall crime in Lakeview decreased by 17% in 2013. Public safety remains my top priority, and while we still have a lot of work to do, I am pleased to see that overall crime has decreased in our community, notably with a 39% reduction in burglaries, 18% decrease in motor vehicle thefts and a 4% reduction in robberies.
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CWB has analyzed City of Chicago crime data to see how the level of crime reported in each of the city’s 50 wards changed between 2007 and 2013.
The news for Wrigleyville and Boystown is sobering.
According to city data, all 50 wards showed decreases in overall reported crime between 2007 and 2013, with the average decrease being about 30%.
Wrigleyville and Boystown’s 44th ward has the smallest decrease: 9%. See how all 50 wards performed HERE.
The city as a whole recorded 23% fewer robberies in 2013 than 2007. Our ward? We’re up 77%, a far greater increase than any other ward in both percentages and in raw numbers. All 50 wards’ performances are plotted HERE.
Party Pooper
While you’d never know it by listening to him, Alderman Tunney is but one of four aldermen who represent parts of Lake View.
If the other three alderman who represent parts of Lake View were to hold a “crime is down” party, they’d have no reason to invite us. We’re holding them back.
Without us, the other three wards would be celebrating an 18% drop in robberies since 2007. Saddled with us, though, there’s a 6% increase.
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| Uh, let’s DON’T do the Time Warp again. |
In the other three wards, overall reported crime is down 34% compared to 2007. Factor us in, and it’s only down 28%.
We’re not naive. We have no problem with a little song and dance from politicians as long as, behind the scenes, those politicians are addressing our concerns.
In the matter of violent street crime in Wrigleyville and Boystown, we’ve been getting the song and dance without any behind-the-scenes head cracking for at least four years. Meanwhile, our neighborhoods’ problems have continued to escalate. It’s something we have labeled The Time Warp.
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LINKS AND SOURCES
City of Chicago Data Portal
TIME WARP: With A Bit Of A Mind Flip / You’re Into The Time Slip
CWB’s Sortable Spreadsheet of Incidents By Ward and Year
GRAPHIC: Percentage Change In Reported Robberies For All 50 Chicago Wards 2007 vs 2013
GRAPHIC: Percentage Change in Reported Overall Crime For All 50 Chicago Wards 2007 vs 2013
