Violent crime in Chicago has risen to its highest level in the past five years. Aggravated assaults have increased further over the past 12 months. Most of the victims were black.
Chicago police data shows residents suffered 29,677 violent crimes in the 12 months through August — the highest level in the past five years.
Robberies were the most common, accounting for 35% of violent crimes. Next were aggravated battery at 30% and aggravated assault at 27%.
Aggravated assaults increased by 5.3% — the most of any violent crime in Chicago over the past 12 months — and the victims were black in more than half the cases. Aggravated assaults Includes The use of deadly force in the absence of interpersonal contact, such as shooting an individual without wounding him.
The city's arrest rate for aggravated assaults has risen to its second-highest level in the past five years. However, only 1 in 6 cases led to an arrest.
Over the past five years, aggravated assaults have consistently peaked at 5 p.m. and reached their lowest levels at 6 a.m.Depending on when the victim was assaulted, the chances of the perpetrator being caught may decrease further.
There was a concentration of assaults in Mayor Brandon Johnson's neighborhood in Austin, which reported more serious assaults than any other neighborhood over the past year.
Overall, 4 out of every 5 serious assaults in the past 12 months were reported on the city's West and South sides.
Black Chicagoans were 5.3 times more likely to be the victim of an aggravated assault than white Chicagoans. Hispanic Chicagoans were 3.5 times more likely to be targeted.
According to a January Lincoln poll, 2 in 3 voters somewhat or strongly disapprove of Johnson's handling of crime.
Regardless of whether Chicago can solve its crime problem with more cops or more social justice initiatives, it is clear that Johnson must address the problem — actively and forcefully.
Longer-term solutions cannot succeed unless the crimes committed today are addressed and Chicagoans – like Johnson's neighbors – stop living in fear.
