Weis: Crime Not Up

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Aug 3, 2010 3:50PM

It's been a rough year for CPD superintendent Jody Weis, to say the least. Still under fire (literally and figuratively) about the city's homicide rate, as well as the shooting deaths of three CPD officers in a two-month span, Weis came out yesterday in defense of himself, saying that, no, actually crime is not up despite the public's perception. Said Weis: "Despite reading the screaming headlines and the nonstop coverage that these violent incidents receive — as well they should — the fact is that the decline in violence over the past two decades is significant." While this is certainly true, what Weis failed to point out is that in spite of a decline in other violent crimes, the decline in homicides plateaued - if not out-right reversed - after he took control of the department.

As for "screaming headlines," they are, as criminologist James Alan Fox pointed out to the Trib, a result of the 24-hour news cycle. But in this context, they're not without reason because of a stretch of brutal, high-profile murders of teens - Derrion Albert, Robert Freeman - as well as a particularly deadly stretch for Chicago Police Officers: eight officers have been killed since July 2008. Five of those deaths have been in the line of duty and four were the result of shootings (Sgt. Alan Haymaker died in a car crash en route to a call). Weis added yesterday, "You have charts, you have numbers, you have facts that leap right out and say this is where the truth lies." As for those numbers, one thing in Weis' favor: other violent crimes decreased from 2008 to 2009 [PDF] and so far in 2010 [PDF], those violent crimes are, again, down. But a look at homicides shows a different story. Through yesterday, August 2, the city's homicide rate stands at 263 (per the Red Eye homicide map), right about even with last year's pace (267 as of August 2).

Weis' contract is up in the spring and has already hinted he'd be willing to take a pay-cut in exchange for an extention.