Burglary Spike Distorts Deerfield Crime Rate

Violent crime in Deerfield was virtually nonexistent the last two years but a more than fivefold increase in burglaries caused a slight jump the Village’s crime index, according to Chief John Sliozis’s annual report.

The crime index includes murder, criminal sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault and robbery—classified as violent crime—along with burglary, theft, car theft and arson. With no murders the last two years, violent crime has remained static at three.

Earlier: Crime Drops in Deerfield

Though the number of burglaries increased from five in 2011 to 27 in 2012, the amount of thefts dropped from 192 to 183. Two cars were stolen both years and there was no arson.

“The number of burglaries is cyclical. It’s up all over (the area). Even five is too much,” Sliozis said at a meeting of the Village Board of Trustees March 4. “The crime index was basically the same as last year.”

A look at the last five years indicates 2011 was a record low year. There were 23 in 2008, 24 in 2009 and 15 in 2010. Nevertheless, the Police Department has taken action to reduce the number.

Sliozis explained to the Board some of the things the department has done to reduce the number of burglaries including an increased use of detectives and putting officers on patrol in areas where it might be more likely a burglary would occur.

“We’ve changed some hours around,” Sliozis said. “We brought some detectives in to work with patrol. We’ve doubled the officers on side streets.

Mayor Harriet Rosenthal wanted to know about any possible gang activity in Deerfield. Sliozis assured her while it is an issue in the suburbs, it is less so in the Village. “In town there is almost no activity,” he said.

Another part of the report revealed after the first full year of enforcing Deerfield’s ban on the use of  hand held cell phones while driving, 1,283 warnings were issued and 191 tickets written.

Vandalism in Deerfield hit a five-year low with only 27 instances reported after 42 the year before and 61 in 2010.

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