CRIME AGAIN FELL IN CHICAGO IN '02

Chicago crime fell in 2002 for the 11th year in a row, while officers
seized more than 10,000 guns and more than $800 million in drugs.

Police Supt. Terry G. Hillard credited community policing for the
drop.

"In major cities, crime is trending upward," he said. "This tells me
one thing: Community policing works."

Hillard said Chicago is the only U.S. city with a "sustained genuine
commitment" of 10 years to community policing, in which residents and
police work together to prevent and solve crimes.

Overall, crime dropped 3 percent. "While that does not sound dramatic,
it translates to 5,800 fewer crimes and 5,800 fewer victims," he said.

Vehicle theft showed the biggest decline, 8.3 percent. Also down were
murder, 2.7 percent; rape, 0.8 percent; burglary, 1.9 percent; theft,
2.3 percent, and aggravated assault/battery, 2.9 percent.

The only increases were minor jumps for robbery, up 0.3 percent, and
arson, up 2.1 percent.

Violent crime was down 1.6 percent, and property crime fell 3.3
percent.

The city recorded 646 murders, 19 fewer than in 2001. That was a few
less than Los Angeles and a few more than New York. But in killings
per 100,000 people, Chicago's rate was higher than those cities'.

Officers collected 10,182 illegal guns. "No other city is seizing that
many weapons," Hillard said.

A record amount of narcotics was seized: cocaine, heroin, marijuana
and other drugs valued at $833 million.

This year, the Police Department will begin automated case reporting,
with officers entering arrest information into personal computers in
district interview rooms, Hillard said.