The Oak Park Police Department concluded a year marked by heightened concerns over a perceived increase in violent crime by reporting an actual 2 percent decrease in serious crime in 2007 compared with the previous year. The numbers include a 24 percent decrease in robberies (113 from 149) and a 5 percent decrease in aggravated assault/battery (37 from 39).
Police Chief Rick Tanksley acknowledged the heightened concerns regarding crime, saying, “I know that a single violent crime can have far-reaching impact not only on the victim, but especially on the perception residents can have about their own safety. That’s why we are vigilant in our efforts to prevent, investigate and solve violent crimes, no matter how small of a percentage of all crimes they may represent.”
Though burglaries were down 2 percent from 2006, as in past years, burglary and theft accounted for the vast majority of serious crime, with 343 burglaries and 1,389 thefts representing nearly 90 percent of the 1,980 confirmed criminal incidents in 2007.
The two criminal categories are considered to be primarily crimes of opportunity, with garages being the most frequent targets for burglars.
Officials credit the overall decrease both to more effective policing and a more involved populace.
“Oak Park’s focus on policing at the neighborhood level has created an effective crime-fighting partnership that is reflected in the data,” said Village Manager Tom Barwin.
The 1,389 thefts represented a 2-percent increase over last year. Police attribute that increase mainly to the thefts of license plates and items from motor vehicles. Catalytic converters, which contain small amounts of several highly valuable metals such as platinum, continued to be popular targets of thieves-usually from sport utility vehicles that sit higher off the ground and allow easier access to exhaust systems.
Copper gutters and downspouts from homes, churches and some garages were also heavily targeted by thieves for their easy availability and high resale value. Authorities hope that those types of theft will decrease with a new law, effective Jan. 1, that requires scrap metal recyclers to demand identification and documentation from individuals selling valuable metals like copper and bronze and catalytic converters.
Arrests rise
Arrests were up 11 percent in 2007 as compared to the previous year. Of the 286 arrests made in 2007, more than three quarters were for thefts and burglaries. Juvenile arrests were up in 2007 as well-203 in 2007, compared to 170 in 2006.
Despite Oak Park being adjacent to numerous Chicago drug markets, arrests for all types of drug and drug paraphernalia offenses were down in 2007, roughly 12 percent among adults and 19 percent for juveniles.
Police credit that reduction to past heavy enforcement efforts that have “made Oak Park a less desirable stopover between drug markets in Chicago and the western suburbs from which many of the customers come.”
Pounding on the theme of increased citizen responsibility, Barwin noted that in the face of temporarily lowered police staffing levels due to budget reductions, community policing is more important than ever.
“Fundamentally, we need to strengthen the partnership with residents,” he said, noting that police arrested six people last week after being tipped off by a woman who became suspicious when a juvenile burglar rang her doorbell to see if anyone was home. The boy told her he was “looking for my brother.”
“That’s the way 90 percent of all crime is interrupted,” said Barwin, “by alert citzens letting police know what’s going on.”
Tanksley said that while he’s gratified by a reduction overall, he never allows himself to become satisfied.
“I know each of those 1,980 incidents represents an individual or family,” he said. “You’ll never hear me say I’m satisfied.”
