By Michelle Mayancela
@michelle_mayan
A total of 413 crimes have occurred in Chicago’s 31st Ward since the start of 2022. According to data from the City of Chicago Data Portal, only 14% of those crimes led to an arrest.
The 31st Ward comprises Hermosa, Belmont-Cragin and Portage Park and is predominately Hispanic/Latinx. According to an analysis of the crime data, the ward has seen violence and crime go up in recent years. In February, a woman was found dead in Belmont-Cragin and a man was fatally shot in Hermosa a week later.
The most common crime listed was theft with 100 reported, followed by battery with 67.
Carjackings also have increased, a trend around the city since the pandemic began. In early March, a man was charged with attempted murder after he stabbed and stole a car from another man in Belmont-Cragin. The suspect was later arrested in Hermosa. The 31st Ward has seen 31 cars stolen since the start of the year.