Crime in Lakeview: a growing threat or an old story?

In this week’s Loopster, Kate Springer provides an overview of the rising concern over recent events that have led to Boystown residents speaking out.

But what’s really happening here? We looked at a number of variables of reported crime (burglary, battery, assault and theft) between 2009 and 2011 using the data available on EveryBlock.

Because crime tends to go up when the weather warms, we looked at summer numbers only, from June 21 to July 11, and we found crime is trending upwards in three of the four categories.

Battery is unlawful physical contact. It becomes assault if the physical contact is defined as violent. Theft is taking another person’s property and burglary is breaking and entering a person’s home for the purpose of committing a criminal act.

Burglary is up:

Battery is up:

Assault is up:

Theft is down: