Crime Information and Statistics

Information about campus security programs and policies and the incidence of crime is published in conformity with the requirements of the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act).

Clery Act

The Clery Act, a federal law, requires universities to report statistical information regarding criminal activity on campus, as well as safety information, to the campus community. The definitions used for purposes of these reports are particular to the act and may not be consistent with those definitions used by other entities that collect crime information, such as local and campus newspapers.

The act requires universities to report statistics for the three most recent years. The 2009, 2010, and 2011 statistics, reflected in Table 1, were gathered from University Police reports, Chicago Police Department reports, and from reports made by Campus Security Authorities. The University's Campus Security Authorities for purposes of this report include: University Police, Deans of Students and their professional staffs, Deans-on-Call, Sexual Assault Deans-on-Call, academic advisers in all divisions, student organization advisers, University House System staff, Graduate Student Housing managers, athletic coaches, sports club advisers, and visitor control attendants. A formal police report or investigation is not needed in order for a crime report to be included in the statistics.

For crime statistics for the Gleacher Center (450 North Cityfront Plaza Drive, Chicago) see Table 2. The statistics for the Gleacher Center were gathered from the Chicago Police Department and the University’s Campus Security Authorities.

The University also communicates with the local police authorities in London, Paris, and Singapore, as well as with the University's Campus Security Authorities, to determine whether there are any crimes reportable under the Clery Act for the centers in those three locations.

For 2011, no Clery crimes were reported for the Centers in London, Paris, or Singapore from the local police, or from the University's Campus Security Authorities. All participants in the Centers in London, Paris, and Singapore are provided with safety and security information as part of their program orientation. For more information, contact Lewis Fortner at 773.702.4858.

The Act also requires reporting of not only arrests for liquor law, drug law, and illegal weapons violations, but also referrals for University disciplinary actions of both students and employees based on these violations (see Table 3). There were no arrests or disciplinary referrals for the Gleacher Center. There were no arrests or disciplinary referrals for the centers in London, Paris, and Singapore in the 2011 reporting year.

The Chicago Police Department maintains a list of registered sex offenders residing in the city of Chicago, pursuant to the Sex Offender Community Notification Law (730 ILCS 152/101). This information can be located online at sexoffender.chicagopolice.org. The Illinois State Police also maintain a statewide Sex Offender Database, which can be located online at isp.state.il.us/sor.

Crime Trends in Our Community

2011 Calendar Year

The following report, prepared by the University of Chicago Police Department, provides a statistical overview of reported violent crimes that occurred in the Hyde Park–South Kenwood community during calendar year 2011. Violent crime includes murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault and battery. For the purpose of this report, the boundaries of Hyde Park–South Kenwood are 47th Street to 61st Street and Cottage Grove Avenue to Lake Michigan.

This report also compares the crime rate in 2011 to rates in previous years and to other parts of the city of Chicago.

Trends in Hyde Park–South Kenwood over Time

Last year the incidence of violent crime in the Hyde Park–South Kenwood neighborhood increased 10 percent compared to 2010, a record low year, but was down 38 percent compared to 2002. Criminal sexual assaults showed no change in the number of incidents reported in 2011 and 2010, but decreased 41 percent compared to 2002. All degrees of sexual assault are included in the criminal sexual assault category. Robberies increased 9 percent from 2010 and were down 33 percent compared to 2002. Aggravated assaults increased 14 percent compared to 2010 but declined 46 percent compared to 2002. Burglary, a property crime, decreased by 9 percent in 2011 compared to 2010 and decreased 15 percent when compared to 2002. Total property crimes decreased 6 percent compared to 2010 and showed a 34 percent decrease when compared to 2002. Overall crime in Hyde Park–South Kenwood decreased by 4 percent compared to 2010 and decreased 34 percent compared to 2002.

Table 5 reflects crime trends in Hyde Park–South Kenwood over the past five years.

Rate of Crime in Hyde Park–South Kenwood and Elsewhere in Chicago

People often ask how the crime rate in the Hyde Park–South Kenwood community compares to other areas of the city. The Hyde Park–South Kenwood crime data reported in this account is gathered by the University of Chicago Police Department based on a special analysis of police reports. Figure 1 compares the rate of violent crime per 100,000 population in the Hyde Park–South Kenwood community to the city’s 25 police districts. One should use caution in making judgments based on this data. Crime rates can vary greatly within police districts and are affected by several factors, including the amount of commercial activity in a community and its daytime population and evening visitor population. For example, the very low crime rate in the 16th Police District, located on the far northwest side of the city, is at least partly attributable to the low daytime population of the area.

Which of the city’s neighborhoods are the most realistic comparisons to Hyde Park–South Kenwood? We believe the most reasonable comparison is with the north lakefront communities. They share with Hyde Park–South Kenwood a high degree of commercial activity and are homes to many members of the University community. The north lakefront communities are: Near North (18th District), Lincoln (20th District), Town Hall (23rd District), and Rogers Park (24th District). The rate of violent crime per 100,000 population in Hyde Park–South Kenwood has been close to average for this group in recent years. The violent crime rate in 2011 was somewhat higher in Hyde Park–South Kenwood than in the 20th and 24th Districts, and somewhat lower than in the 18th and 23rd Districts.

TABLE 1a Incidence of Crime: 2009

TABLE 1b Incidence of Crime: 2010

TABLE 1c Incidence of Crime: 2011

For definitions, see Definitions.

TABLE 2a Incidence of Crime: Gleacher Center 2009

TABLE 2b Incidence of Crime: Gleacher Center 2010

TABLE 2c Incidence of Crime: Gleacher Center 2011

*There were no hate crimes reported at the University of Chicago for larceny-theft, simple assault, intimidation, and destriction/damage/candalism of property.

Definitions

Hate Crimes = Crimes that manifest evidence that the victim was intentionally selected because of the victim's actual or perceived race (RA), religion (RE), sexual orientation (SO), gender (G), ethnicity (E), or disability (D). Reported crimes that are reported as hate crimes in the above chart are coded in the hate crimes column.

Campus Residence Halls = dormitories on campus

Campus = University property within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area that is used in direct support of or in a manner related to the University's educational purposes (including all residence halls) and property within or reasonably contiguous with the area described above that is owned by the University but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports the University's purposes.

Non-Campus = property owned or controlled by an officially recognized student organization; property owned or controlled by the University that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the University's educational purposes, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the University.

Public Property = all publicly owned property within the campus (as defined above) or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus

Definitions of the crime categories can also be found at Definitions.

TABLE 3a (i) Arrests: 2009

TABLE 3a (ii) Arrests: 2010

TABLE 3a (iii) Arrests: 2011

TABLE 3b (i) Disciplinary Referrals: 2009*

TABLE 3b (ii) Disciplinary Referrals: 2010*

TABLE 3b (iii) Disciplinary Referrals: 2011*

Note: All information contained in Table 3 refers to the main campus in Hyde Park, with the exception of the one noted drug law violation at the Gleacher Center.

*Persons not arrested for liquor law violations, drug law violations, or illegal weapons possession but who were referred for University disciplinary action.

**Note: One drug law arrest occurred on public property adjacent to the Gleacher Center.

TABLE 4 Drug- and Alcohol-Related Violations, Fatalities, and Sanctions: 2011

In addition to reported drug, alcohol, and weapons possession violations, beginning with calendar year 2009 federal law requires the Univeristy to report the number of drug- and alcohol-related violations and fatalities that occur on campus or as part of a University activity, as reported to campus officials. In addition, the University must report the number and types of sanctions imposed as a result of drug- and alcohol-related violations and fatalities that occurred on campus or as part of a campus activity.

Students may incur a multiple number of sanctions.

*Confidential File: 4; House Probation: 5; Referral to Dean: 7; Parental Involvement: 4

**House Probation: 4; Removal from Dorm: 3

TABLE 5 Rate of Crime for Hyde Park–South Kenwood: 2007 and 2011

Crime statistics reflect Illinois Compiled Statutes and differ from the crime categories of the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting System. All degrees of sexual assault are included in the criminal sexual assault category.

FIGURE 1 Violent Crimes* per 100,000 in Chicago (January 1–December 31, 2011)

* Violent crimes include homicide, sexual assault, robbery, and serious assault.
Source: Chicago Police Dept./UCPD, 21st District figures include Hyde Park. Based on 2010 census figures.

FIGURE 2 Chicago Police Districts

This map shows the 25 Chicago Police Department districts that were active in 2011. Since that time, due to consolidation, there are now 22 police districts in the City of Chicago. The University of Chicago area is now part of the 2nd Police District (5101 S. Wentworth Ave.).

Chicago Police Districts

1. Central, 1718 S. State St.
2. Wentworth, 5101 S. Wentworth Ave.
3. Grand Crossing, 7040 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
4. South Chicago, 2255 E. 103rd St.
5. Calumet, 727 E. 111th St.
6. Gresham, 7808 S. Halsted St.
7. Englewood, 1438 W. 63rd St.
8. Chicago Lawn, 3420 W. 63rd St.
9. Deering, 3501 S. Lowe Ave.
10. Marquette, 3315 W. Ogden Ave.
11. Harrison, 3151 W. Harrison St.
12. Monroe, 100 S. Racine Ave.
13. Wood, 937 N. Wood St.
14. Shakespeare, 2150 N. California Ave.
15. Austin, 5701 W. Madison St.
16. Jefferson Park, 5151 N. Milwaukee Ave.
17. Albany Park, 4650 N. Pulaski Rd.
18. Near North, 1160 N. Larrabee St.
19. Belmont, 2452 W. Belmont Ave.
20. Lincoln, 5400 N. Lincoln Ave.
21. Prairie, 300 E. 29th St. (includes Hyde Park–South Kenwood)
22. Morgan Park, 1900 W. Monterey Ave.
23. Town Hall, 850 W. Addison St.
24. Rogers Park, 6464 N. Clark St.
25. Grand Central, 5555 W. Grand Ave.