In the wake of a midday stabbing Monday on Chicago’s 606 pedestrian trial, NBC 5 Investigates along with Telemundo Investiga,analyzed all crime data reported by the Chicago Police Department since 2016 – the first full year that the 606 trail was open.
We found that in 2016 police reported 28 total criminal incidents on the trail – to date, an all-time annual high. Crime fell steadily and dramatically in 2017 with 15 incidents and 2018, with 10 incidents.
Monday's stabbing of a 30-year-old bicyclist however, may be an indication of an unfortunate new trend, because last year, overall crime shot back up, with 22 reported crimes.
Monday's reported stabbing was the first violent incident of crime reported this year on the 606 trail.
And violent crime on the 606 trail has dropped, since the trail’s first full year of operation in 2016.
We found fewer than half the number of violent crimes in 2018 and 2019 (7 and 8 respectively), than occurred in 2016 (18).
NBC 5 Investigates classified violent crimes as robberies, batteries, and assaults, as well as one homicide [a first-degree murder] that occurred on the trail in May of 2019, and a sex offense that occurred in September of 2016.
The remainder of the crimes found were thefts (8 total reported in four years) and other crimes such as criminal damage to property, trespassing, and drug violations.
