Kane County Reporter

Illinois Rep. Dan Ugaste says that the surprisingly low arrest rates for crimes in Chicago are emblematic of a shorthanded police force.

According to data released on Feb. 3 by Wirepoints, arrests were made for only 5% of offenses in the "major crimes" areas, including murders, sexual assaults, aggravated batteries and carjackings, a significant drop from the 10% recorded in 2019. Some have suggested that the numbers reflect a lack of trust in police, making residents hesitant to report crimes. But, Ugaste disagrees.

"It tells me that they’re still significantly understaffed in the police department and current policies are not helping them catch, detain and arrest suspects," Ugaste told the Kane County Reporter. "No one feels safe in the city right now."

Arrest rates varied by the type of “major crime,” based on the seven categories that cities have long reported to the federal government, with Chicago’s homicide arrest rate down 5% to 29% in 2022, 13% lower than the 41% reported in 2020.

The highest arrest rate among thefts in 2022 was 16% of the nearly 9,000 retail thefts, only one-in-five thefts result in arrest. The nearly 20,000 thefts valued at more than $500 resulted in arrests just 1% of the time, and of the nearly 19,000 thefts valued at $500 and under led to arrests in just 1.6% of cases, Wireports reported. 

In nearly 5,000 thefts from a building, the arrest rate was 0.5%

Ugaste said the city also wasn't "doing enough to hold some of these repeat offenders accountable," adding that only personnel changes can address the problems.

"I would support wholesale changes," he said. "I think we need a system where officers feel supported instead of feeling under attack like they are now."