Orland Park's Overall Crime Rate Decreases By 29% In 2020: Chief

ORLAND PARK, IL — The Orland Park Police Department presented its State of the Village Address at Monday evening's Board of Trustees meeting, detailing crime statistics within Orland in 2020.

Police Chief Joe Mitchell stood before the board with a PowerPoint presentation that compared 2019 and 2020 crime statistics. According to Mitchell, Orland Park had a 29 percent decrease in crime from 2019 to 2020, in crimes including:

• Homicide
• Rape
• Robbery
• Aggravated assault and aggravated battery
• Burglary
• Theft
• Motor vehicle theft
• Arson
• Human trafficking- commercial sex acts
• Human trafficking-involuntary servitude

The chief presented a decrease in violent crimes such as criminal homicide and rape, which the online presentation states zero were reported in 2020. Robbery within Orland stayed the same in both 2019 and 2020, with seven reports. An uptick in violent crimes included aggravated assault and aggravated battery, which went from 14 reports in 2019, to 18 in 2020.

Mitchell said regional crime has been increasing. The Chief used Chicago as a comparative example, saying the city had a 50 percent increase in murders and shootings last year, while pointing out Orland's decrease in violent crime.

"The Orland Park Police Department reports we've had less violent crimes this year than we've had in 2019, despite the pandemic and the unrest," Mitchell said.

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The majority of property crimes in Orland also decreased, according to Mitchell. In 2019, 26 burglaries were reported in the village, while 13 were reported in 2020. Theft lowered from 887 reports to 625. Motor vehicle theft slightly increased from 26 reports to 28. Property crimes have decreased from 1,337 reports in 2016 to 666 reports in 2020, according to Mitchell.

Despite previous interactions, Mitchell said Orland Square Mall reports have been on a consistent downward trend.

"Orland Park mall is one of the safest malls in the Chicagoland area, period. We did have a slight uptick in crime in 2020 v. 2019," Mitchell said, adding that one department store in the mall was "killing it" with turning in reports to police.

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The chief reported that index crime in Orland is at its lowest it has been in 26 years. He said part of it is "COVID driven," but said the virus wasn't the only factor. Orland Park reports a 100 percent arrest rate for aggravated battery. "One of the reasons we have such a low crime rate is because we solve crime," Mitchell said.

Motor vehicle theft increased and has been doing so since 2017, the presentation shows. In 2020, 28 thefts occurred and Mitchell said motor vehicle theft is one of the village's biggest problems. He said this is due to people leaving car keys in their cars, and that when vehicles are stolen they may be used to commit other crimes elsewhere.

"Unfortunately, these vehicles are being used in other cities to commit crimes," Mitchell said. "Our seven robberies that occurred in Orland Park in 2020 were committed with stolen vehicles."

The police department received 275,278 calls for service in 2020, which is an uptick from 2019's 209,066 calls. The department also received 177 letters of appreciation in 2020, according to the presentation.

Mitchell said an estimated 80-90 percent of people who are arrested in Orland Park are repeat offenders; they've been arrested in the past. He said many of the repeat offenders have been arrested criminally.

The chief said the "biggest impediment to safety" in Orland Park is Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

"Last year alone she dismissed well over 25,000 felonies. These are not just cases that come to court. These are cases that are vetted by the Cook State's Attorney's Office," Mitchell said. "In three years she dismissed over 30 percent of all felony charges ... Where is the public outcry? Where is the accountability for people? That's our problem. Repeat offenders."

See the whole presentation and board comments by watching the Board of Trustees meeting, here.

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