“UCR” Criminal Activity in Sauk Village!!
By Mayor David Hanks
The UCR (Uniform Crime Reporting) is a voluntary
assessment of crime in a community that is reported to the Federal Government
to evaluate crime across America.
UCR has eight major crime
categories: Murder, Rape, Robbery,
Aggravated Assault, Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft and Arson. In Sauk Village
these crime categories and their sub categories are/were historically entered
into the Sauk Village Police Department’s computer system to aid the Police in
gauging criminal activity in the Village and to generate a monthly UCR report
to the State Police. They in turn send an annual report to the FBI who oversees
the UCR program.
As Mayor, I have been extremely and deeply concerned about reported
crime in Sauk Village. Like you, I viewed the annual UCR report to the Federal
Government, as factual. I did not understand how Sauk Village had so much crime
and our neighboring Villages so much less.
In August of 2015, I
hired Robert Kowalski, a former Supervisory Special Agent of the FBI, as Chief
of Police. Shortly after Chief Kowalski came on board he reviewed the Village’s
past UCR reports. His expertise and years of service with the FBI immediately
identified the crime problem in Sauk Village. OVER REPORTING! (Chart1) The Sauk
Village Police Department was over reporting criminal activity. Whether the
mistake was due to a lack of training or not understanding the how to properly report
UCR crime, the issue of excessive crime in Sauk Village is now solved! For that
I thank Chief Kowalski and his years of experience with the FBI.
On behalf of Sauk
Village, Chief Kowalski was able to file an adjusted 2014 UCR report (the 2014 monthly UCR’s filed by the Police
Department were 41% over reported) (Chart 2). The
adjusted UCR reports will be made public by the FBI later this year (only one prior year is allowed to be
adjusted).
I am not naïve, crime does exists is Sauk Village as it exist
everywhere in America. But Sauk Village is not nor has it been an
exception to the norm. Chief Kowalski and the Officers of his Department
are dedicated first responders; through their efforts and now through factual
reporting, crime in 2016 has been reduced by 57% over the same period last year
(Chart
3). Finally,
crime should be a concern for everyone not just the Police. Chief Kowalski is
accessible; he is there to help us with whatever problem we have. When a
problem arises call him!!
