Gunfire incidents in Elgin went up 25% in 2024, contributing to an overall increase in city’s crime rate from 2023, Police Chief Ana Lalley said.
There were 65 gunfire incidents reported last year, up from 52 the previous year, according to the department’s newly released annual report.
Fourteen cases involved a victim, Lalley said.
The department responded to the increase by adding patrols in areas where incidents were reported, bringing in investigations and other special units to handle cases, and providing updates to the public about ongoing probes, she said.
Crime stats also are released on a monthly basis to keep the public aware of ongoing trends and to let the community know what the department is doing in response, the chief said. In the past year, the department revamped its transparency website and provided updated information on all types of crimes, she said.
Of the gunfire incidents they handled, 20 resulted in arrests and 24 cases were closed, according to Crime Analyst Ryan Drake.
Five were gang-related, five involved people who were in an “unsound mental state,” three were related to domestic incidents, one was an accidental weapon discharge, and one involved a traffic alteration, Drake said. The rest were listed as “other,” according to the report data.
Elgin had seven homicides last year, one of which remains under investigation, Lalley said.
The overall crime rate increased by 9% from 2023 to 2024.
The police department uses the National Incident-Based Reporting System data, which lists crimes under two categories. Group A crimes are those against people and property, which were up 7.2% over the last year, Drake said. There were 4,647 cases in 2024 compared to 4,331 in 2023, data showed.
The top Group A crimes were simple assault, larceny/thefts, criminal damage to property and fraud reports.
Group B offenses are considered less serious. They increased 12% over the previous year, data showed. There were 2,746 incidents compared to 2,449 in 2023, Drake said.
The top three crimes fell into the categories of disorderly conduct, trespass and “other offenses,” the report said. A large increase in thefts — 896 in 2024 compared to 687 in 2023 — were linked to a jump in shoplifting cases, Drake said.
While crime rates fluctuate between high and low periods year to year, Elgin’s rates have had a consistent downward trend over the last 36 years, Lalley said.
“The department is dedicated to reducing crime in the Elgin community and will continue to apply both proven and new promising law enforcement strategies in accomplishment of this goal,” she said.
This year’s report includes information on how Elgin’s crime rate compares to Illinois’ largest cities. Elgin, the sixth largest, has 367 crimes per 100,000 residents, Drake said. Its rate is below the median monthly crimes compared to places like Springfield, Peoria and Rockford, data shows.
Aurora, Joliet and Waukegan have similar crime rates. Naperville is lower, with 244 crimes per 100,000 residents, the data showed.
The comparison helps Elgin police analyze what it can do better and develop a strategy to combat crime, Lalley said.
“We understand crime will go up, crime will go down, but what concerns us is the community working together to make sure it’s a safe place,” she said.
This year, the department is introducing new technology to help reach its goals, Lalley said. The software program Live911 will let officers hear real-time 911 calls. While they won’t be able to interact with the callers, they will be able to listen to what’s being said and know what to expect before reaching the caller’s location, she said.
They also plan to introduce Draft One software, which uses AI to create police reports as a time-saving measure for officers. Lalley said it should be operational in the first quarter of this year.
“We’re the first agency to do this. It’s something we are very proud of,” she said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
