The Naperville Police Department has released crime statistics for the half of 2023, and the results are mixed.
Property crimes (theft, fraud and vandalism), which comprise approximately 65% of the city’s criminal activity, have risen slightly while crimes against people are down.
While small in number, the uptick in extortion cases to 14, from 2 in the first six months of 2022, is of particular concern as 11 of the 2023 incidents involved “sextortion” involving teenage boys sending inappropriate pictures of themselves to an unknown person, who then threatens to release the photos publicly unless payment is made.
Drug overdoses increased to 54 compared to 22 the same period last year.
Other key takeaways from the report:
- No homicides have occurred in Naperville in the first half of 2023.
- Most crimes against persons in Naperville fall into the category of simple assaults, and most (74%) of the simple assaults reported in the first six months of 2023 were domestic batteries.
- Twenty-three (23) vehicles were reported stolen in the first half of 2023. Ten (10) were taken from commercial locations; 13 were taken from residential locations. Two out of every three vehicles stolen so far this year are believed to have been unlocked.
- A total of 46 burglaries were reported in the first half of 2023 compared to 60 in the same period last year. Thirty (30) were commercial burglaries, 15 were residential burglaries, and there was one home invasion in which the victim knew the suspect and an arrest was made.
- Incidents involving firearms have decreased slightly in the first half of 2023, with 75 illegal firearms seized in the first half of 2023 compared to 99 seized in the same period last year. Similarly, confirmed shootings within Naperville city limits are down, with five confirmed in 2023 versus 6 in 2022.
