To PN Readers:
A summary of the City of Naperville’s crime and incident data for 2023 was issued this week. This document contains data from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, in addition to a letter of introduction from Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres that is presented below. We hope residents take time to go with knowledge in the words of Crime Stoppers: “Keeping our community safe is everyone’s responsibility.” —PN
2023 Crime and Incident Data
The Naperville Police Department recognizes that awareness is a key factor in the overall safety of a community. Residents who are aware of the types of crimes happening in their city are more likely to practice situational awareness, report suspicious activity to police and take proactive steps to avoid victimization. For that reason, the Naperville Police Department presents the following overview of crime and incident data reported between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023.
Crimes against persons make up approximately one-quarter of the total crimes reported in Naperville in 2023. The vast majority (approximately 94%) of the reported crimes against persons fall into the categories of intimidation and simple assault, which includes altercations and incidents (including domestics) that don’t involve weapons or serious injuries.
The majority (approximately 65%) of Naperville’s reported crime in 2023 is classified as property crimes, most of which are theft, fraud (which includes identity theft) and vandalism.
Additional take-aways from 2023 statistics
• Overall, there were fewer crimes against persons reported in 2023 compared to the previous year, but property crimes increased by almost 8%.
• Domestic batteries make up nearly 80% of all simple assaults.
• 29 criminal sexual assaults were reported to police in 2023. While it does not minimize the seriousness of this crime, we feel it is important for the community to know that none of the reported incidents involved an unknown person randomly attacking individuals on the streets of our community. In the majority of the cases reported in 2023, the victims knew or were somehow acquainted with the offender.
• The most significant increases in property crimes were seen in the categories of shoplifting, motor vehicle theft, impersonation/obstructing identification, and extortion/blackmail.
• Following two years of relatively low burglary numbers, reports of burglaries in Naperville surpassed 100 cases in 2023. Of the 111 cases reported, 57 were to commercial properties and 51 were to residences.
• 67% of residential burglaries were to unlocked or unsecured homes, but only 23% of commercial burglaries were believed to be unsecured.
• Reports of burglaries to motor vehicles were consistent with numbers reported over the last few years. 78% of the vehicles were believed to be unlocked at the time they were broken into.
• Motor vehicle thefts increased from 50 in 2022 to 81 in 2023. Thirty-five of the reported thefts are believed to be tied to a string of Hyundai and Kia thefts inspired by the Kia Boys trend on social media. Both Hyundai and Kia have offered anti-theft software upgrades and other programs to combat the trend.
Visit your dealership for more information or learn more about vehicle theft prevention at www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/vehicle-theftprevention.
Link to Interactive Crime & Incident Data Map
Residents who would like to see more crime and incident data than what is contained in this annual summary are encouraged to visit www.naperville.il.us/CrimeAndIncidentData for a link to an interactive map that allows users to see the types of incidents police are responding to throughout town.
Users can choose a desired time frame and view the general location of incidents to which police have responded. Residents can also visit the Naperville Police Department’s website (www.naperville.il.us/npd) for the latest news, trends, and crime prevention strategies.
Thank you for your partnership in making Naperville one of the safest cities of its size in America.
—Police Chief Jason Arres
Thanks to everybody who helps keep this community safe. Whenever you see something suspicious, say something by calling 9-1-1.
The City’s website reminds residents that “awareness is a key factor in the overall safety of a community. Residents who are aware of the types of crimes happening in their city are more likely to practice situational awareness, report suspicious activity to police and take proactive steps to avoid victimization.”
Report submitted by NPD Public Information.
RELATED INFORMATION / To help keep the community safe and alert regarding crime prevention topics, NPD Crime Prevention Specialist Julie Smith writes a monthly column titled “Focus on Safety.”
