Editor’s note May 14, 2024: Because of incorrect information provided to Wednesday Journal by the Village of Oak Park, the statistics provided in a prior version of this story were inaccurate. The story and statistics have been updated.
The Oak Park Police Department is reporting a 1.4% increase in crime in 2023 over the year before, primarily due to property crimes, including burglary, vandalism or robbery.
That marks a change in what village officials originally reported in March. At the time, they said crime rates rose by 4.8% between 2022 and 2023, which the Wednesday Journal originally reported.
Later, they said that was not the case. Human error and a change in reporting methods contributed to what they said was inaccurate information.
“Following publication, there were some inconsistencies identified in the statistics published (in March) stats due to human error, faulty Records Management System (RMS) and National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) classification vs. state criminal offense statute,” Dan Yopchick, the village’s chief communications officer, told Wednesday Journal.
NIBRS is a national database that collects data about criminal offenses nationwide. Oak Park has been participating since late 2020.
NIBRS collects two categories of information, Oak Park officials said: Group A, a collection of 22 offense categories, and Group B, a list of offenses not included in Group A. Criteria for Group A include seriousness, frequency and prevalence of the offense, according to NIBRS. Group B captures arrest data and tend to be somewhat less serious incidents, such as writing bad checks.
NIBRS requires the OPPD to report out the Group A offenses, Police Chief Shatonya Johnson said at the May 7 village board meeting. Oak Park police had been reporting criminal trespass and disorderly conduct incidents in that group, but they are considered Group B offenses. So, officials removed those incidents from Oak Park’s original crime statistics reporting. This caused the number of crimes reported to drop.
Police also removed those two offenses from 2019 to 2023 reports to make accurate comparisons, Johnson said.
Village officials also said they working to replace the “faulty” RMS system.
The new figures, as are now reported, show there were 3,148 crimes reported in 2023 compared with 3,105 in 2022. Crimes against property increased by 3.6% in Oak Park last year, a change related to a slight increase in robberies and burglaries, according to a village presentation.
Violent crimes, or crimes against persons, decreased by 4.4% in 2023.
“We want to remind and assure all of Oak Park that community safety remains our top priority,” Johnson said in a village news release. “Our officers will continue to uphold the peace and security of Oak Park to foster an environment where everyone can safely thrive.”
Crimes against society, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation defines as representing “society’s prohibition against engaging in certain types of activity and are typically victimless crimes,” decreased by 21% in 2023 in Oak Park. There was a decrease in weapons and driving under the influence violations, but an increase in drug violations, according to the presentation.
Some other crime trends in 2023 included reckless driving, armed robberies and “rowdy” funeral processions, like one in June 2023 where four people were injured from gunfire, according to the village presentation.
Traffic enforcement activity decreased by 27.8% in 2023, with 2,604 warnings or citations served in 2023 compared to 3,065 in 2022. Fewer parking tickets, too, were written: 41,812 in 2023 compared with 59,388 in 2022.
Oak Park also has eight cameras around the village used as tools to alert officers when stolen vehicles drive by. The intersection that gets the most hits — doubling the next closest one — is Austin Boulevard and Harrison Street.
Deputy Chief Roderick Robinson said police are looking at reimplementing a traffic unit, but it’s difficult with short staffing.
According to the presentation, the OPPD is down 35 officers as of May. That’s three more than in early February. To attract more applicants, Johnson said, the department has eliminated the application fee, increased testing frequency, allows for lateral hires, expedited background investigations and changed when proof of physical agility is required.
The strategy may be working. In September 2023, the department received 103 applications compared with 22 in April 2023. To retain employees, the department has modified work schedules and increased specific types of training, according to the presentation.
In 2024, the OPPD said it plans to transition to digital radios, which will enhance safety and interoperability and are cost effective, according to the presentation. In 2023, the department implemented body-worn cameras.
Other goals for 2024 include enhancing community engagement, implementing alternative calls for mental health services and carrying out recommendations provided in the BerryDunn study. The BerryDunn study was a comprehensive look at how the OPPD can deliver services safely and equitably, according to the village.
“Public safety is more than enforcing existing laws and making arrests of those who do not comply,” the presentation reads. “Policing today means taking a holistic approach in order to effectively serve the evolving needs of the community.”
