CRIME DROPS IN RICHLAND COUNTY

Fewer thefts, arsons and rapes here helped bring Illinois' crime rate
down in 2005, but a majority of the state's communities reported a
rise in serious crime, according to Illinois State Police data.

Law enforcement officials in Illinois reported 473,834 serious crimes
in 2005, resulting in a 3.1 percent decline in the state's crime
rate, according to information provided by state police that was
released Sunday.

That's 37.3 crimes per 1,000 people, which is down from 38.3 per 1,000 in 2004.

Crime dropped 19.2 percent in Richland County.

Olney Police Chief Rick Chaplin said he has noticed a drop in crime
and thinks there are several reasons for it.

He cited the work of the county, state, the courts and the state's
attorney, as well as the public. He said the city council's and city
manager's support of the department has also helped.

Chaplin said that because methamphetamine arrests have been going
down, related crimes such as burglaries have been decreasing in number as well.

Richland County Sheriff Bob Foerster said changes in laws dealing
with methamphetamine have helped bring down drug-related crimes in the area.

Foerster said he has also noticed a drop in crimes such as burglary
and theft, which those involved in meth would do to make money for drugs.

Foerster said the goal now is to remain vigilant.

"Dealers have to know we're looking for them," Foerster said.

Fifty-four counties reported an increased number of crimes, while 46
reported fewer crimes and two reported no change.

Chicago's overall crime rate, which accounts for a little over 35
percent of the state's reported crime figures, decreased 6.5 percent.
Suburban Cook County's overall crime rate decreased 4.2 percent and
the collar counties saw a 1.4 percent decrease.

The city and its immediate neighbors reported disparate trends in
violent crime, though.

Chicago saw decreases in assaults and rapes that resulted in a 2.8
percent drop in violent crime, while suburban Cook County reported a
10.6 percent increase in violent crime and Chicago's collar counties
reported a 4.4 percent increase.

"There's the Chicago pattern and the elsewhere pattern," said Wesley
Skogan, a Northwestern University criminologist. "Around the country
there is a perception that city crime rates, especially mid-city
crime rates, are going up substantially."

The lion's share of crimes reported in Illinois were property crimes,
which include burglary, theft and arson. There 401,607 of them
reported in 2005, or 13,720 fewer than 2004. That's a decrease of 3.3 percent.

Police around the state, meanwhile, reported a total of 72,227
violent crimes in 2005, an increase of 1,085 from the year before, or
1.5 percent. Violent crime includes murders, criminal sexual assaults
and robberies.

There were 766 murders in Illinois in 2005, 14 fewer than the year
before, a decrease of 1.8 percent.

Regionally, crime in southern Illinois rose three percent. Clinton,
Perry and Randolph counties were among the areas reporting a spike in
crime, according to the data.

Central Illinois, meanwhile, saw a 14 percent increase. There was a
5.7 percent increase in the amount of serious crime reported in
Champaign County, an 8.9 percent in Peoria County and a 6.2 percent
rise in Sangamon County.

Northern Illinois, excluding Cook County, reported a .6 percent
decrease in serious crime.

State police say the production and use of methamphetamine is the
cause of much of the crime in southern and central Illinois. Several
response teams formed in May 2005 to fight the spread of meth
reported earlier this summer that they had handled 750 meth-related incidents.

"The Illinois State Police will continue to dedicate all the
resources necessary to combat the proliferation of this dangerous and
devastating drug," State Police Director Larry G. Trent said.

The efforts appear to be resulting in more arrests. An increase in
drug-related arrests were reported in some of largest counties in
southern and central Illinois: Madison, Peoria, Sangamon and St. Clair.

"Meth is a drug that really causes a lot of extreme, erratic and out
of control behavior, so people under the influence of meth are more
likely to engage in violence and contribute to disorder in a
community," said Arthur Lurigio, a psychologist and criminal justice
professor at Loyola University of Chicago.