Overall crime in Evanston decreased for the seventh consecutive year in 2007, according to Evanston Police. However, violent crimes, including assault and battery, increased slightly.
Though Cmdr. Tom Guenther said he was encouraged by the overall drop, he wished violent crimes followed the trend.
“You always like to have the violent crime go down because it’s more personal,” Cmdr. Thomas Guenther said.
A city’s crime index is the total number of crime incidents reported to police in eight categories defined by the FBI. These include murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and battery, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
After a 1997 peak of 7,669 incidents, crime has generally decreased in Evanston. Last year, there were 3,107 crimes committed in the city, a new low since 1985, when the FBI last changed the index’s definition.
“You listen to the evening tragedy report you think ‘the world’s going to hell,'” Guenther said. “But if you look at the statistics you see its actually stabilizing and going pretty good.”
However, crimes against persons still increased by 15.6 percent in 2007. This category includes murders, criminal sexual assaults, robbery and aggravated assault and battery, all of which are still below average.
“Regardless of what the crime index says, neighborhoods with crime still go on,” said Ald. Lionel Jean-Baptiste (2nd). “There are neighborhoods whose quality of life is impaired.”
A Chicago man was shot and killed on Florence Avenue in February. Meanwhile, several Northwestern students were robbed near the intersection of Ridge Avenue and Davis Street – an area heavily populated by students.
“I think I remember four crimes committed around where I live (this school year),” McCormick junior Steven Anderson said. “It seems a little high for somewhere like Evanston.”
The police department holds weekly deployment meetings to figure out what areas are most in need of an additional police presence. After the murder on Florence, police made extra patrols on the block for two weeks.
Police credit such meetings for recent trends. But they can’t eliminate crime, Guenther said.
“We heighten our awareness in the area,” he said. “But if a burglar hits a certain area, do you think he’s going to hit it again?”
For now, city officials agree the answer is in community involvement, such as public education programs and neighborhood watch groups.
“We have to make it work,” Jean-Baptiste said. “And making it work means getting involved and staying involved and making sure your neighbor’s business is your business.”
