Crime Down in Evanston

EVANSTON, IL - The number of serious crimes reported in Evanston decreased in 2015 from the year before, the Evanston Police Department announced last month when releasing the 2015 Overall Crime Report.

“Part I” crimes, the ones which statistics need to be reported yearly to the FBI, include murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson. The total number reported to police in 2015 was 1,952, while 2,056 of the same type of offenses were reported in 2014.

Numbers dropped in five of the seven categories. The number of criminal sexual assaults went from three to zero. Robberies lowered from 54 to 51. Burglaries saw a decrease from 93 to 77. Thefts were down from 334 to 313 and motor vehicle theft down slightly from 66 to 62.

The only categories that saw more instances in 2015 were murders (from 1 in 2014 to 3) and arson (5 in 2014 to 6).

“Homicides in Evanston generally have been linked to on-going rivalries and disputes between factions of individuals associated with illegal behavior,” a police spokesperson said in an email releasing the numbers. “Individuals who choose this risky lifestyle often procure firearms for protection and for use in committing illegal activity.”

Overall, it was a 5.1 percent decrease in major crime.

Month by month numbers show the largest decrease came during the summer months, when all crime is more prevalent. Numbers in winter months actually increased slightly.