Residents of Logan Square and surrounding neighborhoods may want to exercise a bit more caution when they’re out on the street, following reports that robberies and shootings in the area were up significantly in 2016.
On Tuesday, DNAinfo reported that robberies in the Chicago Police Department’s 14th District were up 60 percent in 2016. The precinct, also known as the Shakespeare Police District, filed 484 reported robberies last year (December data not included), compared with 301 in 2015. DNAinfo noted that the percentage increase would likely have been higher with the a full year’s data, but noted that December numbers were unavailable at the time it compiled its year-end crime statistics.
The district (which includes Logan Square and parts of Humboldt Park, Avondale, Wicker Park and Bucktown) also saw a spike in shootings over the same time period. There were 80 reported shootings last year, compared with 51 in 2015, 52 in 2014 and 50 in 2013.
Overall, the increase in shootings reflects a citywide trend. Both the number of people shot and the number of shootings incidents throughout Chicago jumped by approximately 47 percent in 2016, according to DNAinfo’s data.
Despite the reported rise in robberies, Logan Square and surrounding areas have experienced significant growth and development in recent years, including a major investment from the Chicago Transit Authority on completed track improvements between the Blue Line's Damen and Logan Square stops (not to mention the completion of the popular 606 park system). The area continues to be a popular destination for Chicagoans to live and visit—Logan Square and other nearby popular North Side neighborhoods have some of the highest rental demands throughout the city.
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