Shootings Increased, Other Crimes Dipped In Naperville In 2021

NAPERVILLE, IL — Shootings and gun seizures were on the rise in Naperville in 2021, despite a drop in most major crimes, recent statistics from Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres show.

The data, which was released Monday, shows the following statistics for gun crimes in Naperville:

• 2021: 12 shots fired incidents and 146 illegal firearm seizures
• 2020: Eight shots fired incidents and 82 illegal firearm seizures
• 2019: Three shots fired incidents and 73 illegal firearm seizures

Per this information, shots fired incidents increased by 50 percent between 2020 and 2021.

Illegal gun seizures were up by 78 percent during that same timeframe. Police attribute the greater number of gun seizures to an increase in traffic enforcement. In 2021, Naperville police performed 2,000 more traffic stops than they had the previous year.

Though the report showed that "every category of major crime decreased except for arson and

criminal sexual assault." In 2021, police responded to one more report of arson and one more report of criminal sexual assault than in 2020, per the statistics.

Arres's report credited the overall decline in crime with increased police presence and gave a nod to the police force's increased success in taking suspects into custody.

Arres cautioned, " Despite the lower crime rates reported in 2021, the Naperville Police Department urges residents to remember that while Naperville is a safe city, it is not a crime-free city. Continue to stay alert to people and activity around you, avoid confrontation and report suspicious activity to police."