The Village of Oak Park | 123 Madison St.  Oak Park, IL 60302 | village@oak-park.us

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Crime rate remains low in 2018

The overall crime rate in Oak Park was essentially unchanged in 2018 as compared to the prior year, according to data compiled by the Police Department for the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program that studies patterns and trends over time.

Oak Park Police investigated 15 more crimes in 2018 than in 2017. However, the two largest categories of crimes against individuals — robbery, which includes vehicle hijackings, and assault/battery — declined. Ninety-nine robberies and 31 assault/battery reports were investigated in 2018, as compared to 134 robberies and 35 assault/battery cases in 2017.

Law enforcement officials say these types of crimes more than any others tend to affect one’s perception of crime. Oak Park Police investigated 1,650 crimes in 2018, compared to 1,635 in 2017

Burglaries and thefts, which historically represent the vast majority of crime in the Village, remained the biggest categories at nearly 87 percent of all crimes committed in the community in 2018.

Thefts were up slightly — 1,077 reports in 2018 compared to 1,035 in 2017 — as were burglaries — 357 in 2018 compared to 311 in 2017. Locking garage doors and keeping a watchful eye on personal belongings are among the best deterrents to these crimes of opportunity, Police say.

Arrests were up in 2018, according to the official report. Oak Park Police arrested 203 suspects in connection with the most serious offense categories tracked under the crime index reporting system. Another 36 individuals were arrested for driving under the influence in 2018 and 27 individuals were arrested for drug violations.

Juvenile crime increased slightly from 2017, with four more crimes investigated in 2018 than the previous year. Juveniles were involved in 42 crimes in 2018, compared to 38 in 2017. Police also reported eight arrests of juveniles on drug-related charges in 2018, down from 12 in 2017. All of the 2018 juvenile drug arrests were related to violations of the Illinois Cannabis Control Act.

More information on the Oak Park Police Department is posted at www.oak-park.us/police.

Summary of 2018 Crime in Oak Park

  • Thefts, typically crimes of opportunity, remained the single largest category of crimes reported in Oak Park. Some 1,077 thefts were reported in 2018, compared to 1,035 in 2017. Among the thefts were 71 unsecured bicycles and 223 items left unattended.
     
  • Burglary continued to be the second largest single crime category, with 356 cases reported in 2018, compared to 311 in 2017. The burglaries included 179 garages, 115 of which had unlocked overhead or side doors.
     
  • Police investigated 99 robberies in 2018, compared to 134 in 2016. This category includes 21 vehicle hijackings in 2018, compared to 19 in 2017.
     
  • Vehicle thefts were down in 2018, as Police investigated 64 incidents compared to 107 incidents in 2017. In 33 of the incidents the keys were left inside the vehicles, 17 of which were unlocked and running.
     
  • 31 aggravated assault/battery cases were reported in 2018, compared to 35 in 2017.
     
  • 17 criminal sexual assaults were reported in 2018, compared to nine in 2017. In 14 of the cases, the victim knew the offender or did not want to file a report.
     
  • Two homicides were reported in 2018, both of which are still under investigation.
     
  • arsons were reported in 2018, compared to two in 2016. None were considered significant.
     
  • Police responded to 69,214 calls for service in 2018, compared to 67,580 calls in 2017.
     

Chart depicting 2018 Oak Park crime by category for 2018 and trend since 1975