Crime Trends in Chicago During COVID-19: A Closer Look

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many cities saw a drop in crime rates. But what was happening in Chicago? Researchers decided to take a closer look. They wanted to see how different neighborhoods were affected by the lockdowns and social distancing rules. They used a special method to study crime data from different parts of Chicago. First, they looked at four types of crimes: burglary, assault, drug-related offenses, and robbery. They wanted to see if these crimes went up or down because of the pandemic rules. The results showed something interesting. Not all neighborhoods saw the same changes in crime. Some places had more crime, while others had less. It was not a simple story. The researchers also found that the factors affecting crime changes were different for each type of crime. For example, some things that made burglary go down might not have had the same effect on assaults. But there was one thing that always made a difference: the size of the population. Bigger neighborhoods saw more crime reductions. The researchers used two main methods. First, they used a statistical model to see how crime trends changed. Then, they used another model to figure out why these changes happened. This two-step approach helped them understand the complex picture of crime in Chicago during the pandemic.