Chicago's Most Dangerous Hour

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Oct 20, 2009 2:40PM

This morning, citing police statistics, the Tribune's RedEye reports that the most dangerous time for violent crime - classified as "homicide, criminal sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and aggravated battery" - in Chicago is between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. The lowest point for those crimes is 7 a.m. The midnight to 4 a.m. time period sees the highest rate of murders. The statistics come with the caveat that there are a host of different factors that contribute to them and - of course - violent crime can happen at any time of the day or night, anywhere.

Arthur Lurigio, professor of psychology and criminal justice at Loyola University, said making a blanket statement about the most violent hour in the city doesn't tell the whole story because crime depends on a confluence of factors--and in a city as diverse as Chicago, the timing will likely vary depending on where you are.

"There are multiple factors: gender, race, age, class and location, location, location," Lurigio said. "No one can say: 8:45 p.m., go in the house and don't come out."

As always, common sense is key, people. 23-year-old Rachel Mueller summed up unwise decisions made by some of her friends thusly: "Girls are so stupid. They walk home by themselves drunk."