Chicago Crime Data Analysis Project
This project provides a data-driven exploration of crime incidents in Chicago, using real-time data from the Chicago Police Department. The analysis covers over 650,000 reported crimes between 2023 and the present, focusing on trends, hotspots, and social factors influencing crime rates
Contact Us
Accessing the Data :
Primary Dataset
Crimes - 2023 to Present, from Chicago Data Portal.
Daily Updates
Data refreshed daily, typically 7 days behind the current date.
Flexible Formats
Available via API, CSV, and JSON for seamless integration.
What We Analyzed Crime Types :
  • Theft, battery, assault, criminal damage, gun-related crimes
  • Temporal Patterns: Crime trends by hour, day, season
  • Location Data: Neighborhoods with high crime density
  • Demographics: Socioeconomic indicators correlated with crime
Key Insights from Crime Data Analysis
  • Total Recorded Crimes : Over 650,000 incidents reported from 2023 to present, across 31 crime types.
  • Peak Crime Periods : Most crimes occur during the night (151K) and evening (140K) hours.
  • Weekends, particularly Friday and Saturday, show the highest crime rates.
  • Public Places at Risk : 58% of crimes happen in public spaces such as streets, sidewalks, and parking lots.
  • Arrest Rate Concern : Only 13.64% of reported crimes resulted in arrests — indicating a potential gap in enforcement or evidence.
  • Gun-Related Crimes : 67,000 incidents involved firearms (approx. 10% of total crimes).
  • Socioeconomic Impact :
  • High-crime areas like Austin and Auburn Gresham correlate with : High unemployment, poverty, and lack of educational attainment
  • Seasonal Patterns : Spring and summer have elevated crime volumes (e.g., Spring = 184K).
  • Domestic Crime Share : Around 18.37% of crimes were domestic in nature — a significant social issue.
  • Danger Levels : 42% of crimes are classified as high danger, requiring urgent attention.
  • Theft and Battery alone account for over 40% of total crimes, indicating a strong need to address petty and violent street-level offenses.
  • Austin alone recorded 32,368 crimes, the highest in the city — tied strongly to low income, education, and a high hardship index. Near North Side, although wealthier, had 28K+ crimes, mostly thefts — indicating that commercial areas aren't immune to crime.
  • Despite expected drops in winter, crimes remained relatively stable — showing that seasonal variation is not dramatic in some communities.
  • Majority of high-danger crimes are clustered in areas with poor infrastructure, dense housing, and low community-police interaction.
Recommendations
  • Enhance Police Presence in Public Spaces Allocate patrols to hotspots like streets, alleys, and retail zones where most crimes are concentrated.
  • Focus Security During High-Risk Times Deploy more resources at night and on weekends to address crime peaks.
  • Strengthen Community Programs in High-Risk Areas Invest in education, employment, and youth engagement programs in areas like Austin and Humboldt Park.
  • Improve Arrest Efficiency Boost forensic and surveillance infrastructure to raise the arrest rate beyond the current 13.6%.
  • Establish Domestic Violence Support Systems Given the high percentage of domestic crimes, expand access to crisis centers, shelters, and public awareness campaigns.
  • Develop Predictive Policing Models Leverage historical time and location trends to anticipate future crime patterns and pre-position security forces.
  • Use Crime Severity Mapping Implement maps that highlight high-danger crime zones for better emergency response planning and public alerts.
Impact / Real-World Application
This analysis can help policymakers and police departments deploy resources more effectively, and highlights the importance of addressing root social issues like poverty and unemployment in reducing crime
Made with