By Kirstin MaguireThe Daily Northwestern
With the temperature rising, will crime in Evanston heat up as well?
Not necessarily, according to officials from both the Evanston Police Department and University Police.
Ald. Anjana Hansen (9th), in a March 26 meeting of the Evanston City Council, suggested a connection between crime and weather.
“As the weather gets warmer, the issues are going to be hotter,” Hansen said.
This connection, however, is mostly anecdotal. While little local data exists, many people still believe crime increases with warmer weather.
“I would imagine when the weather is better, there would certainly be more opportunity,” Ald. Delores Holmes (5th) said. “If the weather is better, it would be better than trying to get around in the snow.”
But the connection between weather and crime is too much of a generality, said Evanston Police Deputy Chief Joseph Bellino.
“If there are more people out and about, perhaps there’s a greater opportunity for some crimes to occur,” Bellino said. “But the converse is true. With more people out, the opportunity to commit a crime can be averted because more people are out and available to call if they see a crime being committed.”
Police data from 2006 on the number of incidents reported in Evanston, excluding NU, offers some validity to the supposed relationship between crime and the weather. But most months hovered around an average of 500 crimes.
University Police Assistant Chief Dan McAleer said street crimes, such as assaults and batteries, tend to increase in the summer months. Burglaries of houses and apartments may also increase because many people leave their screen doors open when the weather is warmer, he said.
“The most important thing is what people do to help delay or lessen the opportunity for crimes,” Bellino said. “Are they alert enough of their potential to become victimized?”
As people are away from their homes more, they should make sure to secure their doors and lock up their belongings, such as bicycles, Bellino said. When walking the streets, people need to be alert.
McAleer said he would offer people the same safety tips he gives in the winter months.
“Try and utilize the services provided by the university, like the shuttle bus and the SafeRide service,” McAleer said. “If you can’t do that, walk in groups. Know your surroundings. Stick to well-lit and well-traveled streets. Don’t take shortcuts. And make sure that you’re aware of your surroundings.”
But while burglaries and assaults may increase in warmer weather, there are too many other factors to say crime is directly related to weather, Bellino said.
“We’re not laying anybody off because of an absence of unfortunate incidents that occur,” Bellino said. “We’ve got more than enough activity and investigations all year round, so you can’t just hang your head on fact that because it’s warmer, weather is going to generate more crime.”
Reach Kirstin Maguire at [email protected].
