ABRACADABRA: Burglary Attempt Disappears From Statistics

Listen up and take notes. This is how you reduce burglary stats, people.

The gated entrance to tiny California Terrace in Boystown.

Around 6 o’clock last night, a resident in the 700 block of California Terrace—that’s the tiny street that sits behind an iron gate on Halsted, south of the Briar Street Theater—returned home to find their apartment had been broken into and burglarized. The forcible entry burglary is recorded in CPD case HX165625.

At 11:30 this morning, the guy who lives directly next door to last night’s victim in the same apartment building found that someone tried, but apparently failed, to break into his unit. His case is currently classified as criminal damage to property in case HX166270.

See how they did that? Even though this was almost certainly a failed burglary, the case is being categorized as damage to property. And, just like that, there’s one less check mark in the burglary column.

Image: Trulia.com
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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com