Most Local Felony Suspects From Elsewhere

BURR RIDGE, IL — At least half of the people charged with felonies in DuPage County come from somewhere else, the county's top prosecutor said Wednesday. Many of them are Cook County residents, a trend that the prosecutor called "disturbing."

At a public safety forum at the Burr Ridge Police Department, State's Attorney Robert Berlin said he believed DuPage County remained a safe place to raise a family, but crime statistics show increases in certain categories. The number of burglaries resulting in charges rose to 456 in 2019, from 250 in 2016, an 82 percent increase, Berlin said. But the figures also show the number of residential burglary cases dropped to 49 last year, down from 77 the year before, a 36 percent drop.

Overall, the states attorney filed 2,864 felony cases in 2019, up from 2,683 in 2017, a 7 percent increase. Over the long-term, though, the number of felonies has fallen. For instance, 3,042 felony cases were filed in 2011, according to the state's attorney's office.

Berlin also said seven aggravated vehicle hijackings were charged last year. Not long ago, he said, the county could go a year without such a case. Last week, Darien police captured two suspects accused of a carjacking in neighboring Woodridge.

Law enforcement cooperation with the public is crucial for solving crimes, Berlin said. To make that point, he compared Cook and DuPage counties. In 2017, all six murders in DuPage were charged. In Cook, where 650 murders were reported in 2017, 18 percent of the cases resulted in charges, Berlin said. In the early 1990s, Cook County authorities were clearing more than 60 percent of murders.

Like most of the country, DuPage County has seen a rise in heroin cases. Overall, the number of overdose deaths in the county was 98 in 2018. Berlin said his prosecutors treat drug users and drug dealers far differently.

With every opioid death reported by the coroner, prosecutors work with police to figure out the source of the drugs, he said.

"If we are able to identify a source, we will charge drug-induced homicide," Berlin said at the forum. "We have had a lot of success with this statute. It sends a message to drug dealers that they have to be held accountable."

On a positive note, Berlin said, the number of DUIs has dropped a lot in just a few years. In 2019, the state's attorney's office filed 2,812 DUI cases, down from 3,462 four years before, a 19 percent drop.

"That is because of the rise in ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft and the public safety message that's getting out there, but it's also enforcement," Berlin said. "We are very tough on DUI cases."