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| CPD stats released this morning show that major crime is up in our area compared to 2014 and 2015, with only 16 fewer major cases compared to last year. But our police commander says “crime is down.” |
New 19th District Police Commander Marc Buslik pulled out an old Chicago Police Department chestnut at a community meeting last night.
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| Buslik | Chicago Police Dept |
He reassured Lincoln Park residents that “crime is down” and even opted for the “politically correct” answer of saying that he’s content with the district’s staffing level, which is about 25% lighter than when Rahm Emanuel became Chicago’s mayor.
The community meeting was reported by DNAinfo this morning.
“Crime is trending down,” insisted Cmdr. Marc Buslik. “From my perspective, the data says we’re doing good.”
He granted, however, that the perception that crime was increasing was something the Police Department had to work on.
Is that right commander? Perception?
The Facts
This morning the 19th District Community Police office Tweeted a copy of the latest 19th District crime statistics.
Buslik’s district has seen exactly 16 fewer major crimes this year compared to last year, the report says.
And major crimes are up by 37%—that’s 124 more major crimes—than in 2015.
So, crime is “down” 16 after skyrocketing up by 124. The district is performing better than in 2013, long before Buslik came to work here.
That’s typical Chicago Police spin. And if there’s one thing we don’t like, it’s a police exec who spins statistics.
