Chicago Criminal lawyer comments on the release of January crime statistics

This Chicago Criminal lawyer has posted here about the decrease in crime. Now come the first statistics of the year and Chicago has a significant decrease in violent crime for the month of January.

From the Chicago Police Department:

Chicago Police released preliminary crime statistics for the first month of the year, recognizing a 3.7 percent decrease in crime overall compared to the same time last year. The murder total was down 16 percent, with 12 of the Department’s 25 Districts reporting zero murders through the end of January, and another nine showing double digit or greater decreases.

Violent crime in Chicago declined by 9 percent compared to last year and was led by sharp decreases in criminal sexual assaults, which were down nearly 30 percent, and aggravated assaults, which dropped by almost 20 percent. As violent crime decreased in all categories, robbery also was down 6.4 percent and aggravated batteries down 3 percent. Sixteen Districts showed solid decreases in total violent crime, with the top five districts dropping an average of around 32 percent.

Other crime drops showed in property offenses, which overall dropped 2.2 percent through the end of January. Down 9.5 percent, theft offenses reflected the greatest property crime decrease, followed by a slight half percent dip in burglary. Arson increased 25 percent (nine more incidents than 2009) and motor vehicle theft was up just over 22 percent.

I don’t mean to be a killjoy, but some folks are a bit more cynical about the early good news:

From the comments on Chicagobreakingnews.com:

boo hoo on February 5, 2010 8:40 PM
For the umteenth time gullible ones....Less police =less reports=less arrests= longer response times=crime ridden streets= impatient public that don't stick around to report crime=skewed statistics. Have you ever noticed that every police chief we ever had since the incorporation of Chicago has said that crime went down since they got here. Statistics are incredibly easy too manipulate and anybody who has ever taken that class in college knows that. So keep buying it Chicago... I want Hoffman for Mayor!

Everyone wants crime to decrease, but lets make sure that boo hoo isn’t right. Otherwise there is more work to be done, but then we knew that already.