Publicly Accessible Data
The Chicago Police Department makes available aggregate data regarding crime in Chicago and selected operations of the Chicago Police Department. Available reports include Chicago Police Department Annual Reports, monthly and quarterly crime summaries, and publications on special topics. The Chicago Police Department has recently also begun creating data dashboards with adjustable data visualizations and downloadable data. To locate statistical reports and data dashboards, look at the various links under “Data & Statistics”
Additionally, Crime data is available via the City of Chicago Data Portal at https://data.cityofchicago.org
Lastly, the Chicago Police Department provides the general public with direct access to unofficial crime data through an internet application known as CLEARmap.
CLEARmap can be accessed by visiting https://clearmap-chicagopd.hub.arcgis.com/. The CLEARmap site allows users to view and analyze up to fourteen days of preliminary crime-incident data over the most recently available 90-day time period.
Data Requests
There are a few ways to request information/data depending on the situation and specific data requested.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows someone to request existing documents and information from any public body. For more information, visit the Freedom of Information (FOIA) page or submit a request directly here https://Chicago.gov/publicrecords
All media request must go through FOIA. Office of Communications may also be contacted at News.Affairs@chicagopolice.org
Jeanne Clery Act
The Jeanne Clery Act is a law that requires Universities to provide information about crimes occurring on and near campuses. The Chicago Police Department provides data to the Universities who then disseminate that data in ways that comply with the law. Colleges and Universities may request data from the CPD by sending an email with an attached letter on the organizations letterhead to DFA@ChicagoPolice.org.
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Entities that wish to do research with CPD data may request that an NDA be initiated. An NDA includes provisions that specify means of securely storing CPD data, prohibit unauthorized sharing of the data, and establish a specific timeline for destruction of the data.
NDAs can be initiated through the Data Fulfillment and Analysis Section and finalized through the Office of Legal Affairs. To request an NDA, send a detailed email to DFA@ChicagoPolice.org including: exact information/data sought, exact time periods, locations, and any other additional search factors or requirements. Additionally, please detail the intended use of the data as well as the anticipated title of any publication produced or the nature of the product.
NDAs take time. The approval process is rigorous and the amount and complexity of the information/data requested can take a significant amount of time.
Law Enforcement and Corrections Agencies
All requests from Law Enforcement Agencies for background checks, case reports, or information about a specific person or case should contact the Chicago Police Department Records Division at (312) 745-5130 for further instructions. The request can be faxed 312-745-6948 or emailed to 163correspondence@chicagopolice.org. The request should be on agency letterhead and must include the agencies ORI #.
Other Data Requests
In some situations, for non-FOIA data requests and requests other than background checks regarding individual people, the Data Fulfillment and Analysis Section may be able to work with a requester to provide information/data. This may be useful for someone who does not need an NDA and would need to work with a data analyst to discuss options. In this situation, email DFA@ChicagoPolice.org with as much detail as possible. These requests will be looked at when an analyst is available.
Data Request Guidelines
When making a request for data, it is important to be as clear as possible to ensure you receive what you intended. Below are some guidelines to include in a data request
- Data type (e.g., arrests, criminal or non-criminal incidents, victims, offenders).
- Crime type/category, if applicable (e.g., criminal sexual assaults, motor vehicle thefts, arsons, robberies)(See Crime Categories below for a list)
- Arrest type, if applicable (e.g., general category such as Crime Category (See Definitions below) or specific state statutes or municipal codes)
- Time Frame (e.g., all arrests that occurred between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2019)
- Geographic location(s) (e.g., citywide, specific CPD District(s) or Beat(s)).
- Examples
- “I would like to request the number of incidents of arsons, thefts, and simple assaults for Districts 7, 2, and 3 for 2018 and 2019.”
- “I am seeking the number of arrests made for criminal sexual assaults in Beat 1213 for January – June of 2019 by month.”
Other available options
The CPD data collects some types of data that may be useful. Below are some options:
- Location Types – all crime locations are categorized by type, for example: Residential House, Street, Bank, Alley, etc. For a complete list, please visit the Department Directives System at Directives.ChicagoPolice.org and search for location codes under Resources.
- If you’re request is not for a specific address or do not know the specific address for something, Location Type will help in narrowing down so you can get the information you seek without extraneous items.
- Crime Category – The CPD follows the FBI crimes categories. For example, the highest crime is Murder, followed by Criminal Sexual Assault. These are also grouped into Index and Non-Index crimes. The Definitions below contain descriptions of Index crimes. A full list of FBI Categories used by the CPD is below.
Crime Categories
All crime classifications are grouped into the below categories for various reports and dashboards.
| Code | Description | Index | Violent/Property |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01A | HOMICIDE – 1ST OR 2ND DEGREE (INDEX) | INDEX | VIOLENT INDEX |
| 01B | INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER / RECKLESS HOMICIDE W/ VEHICLE | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 02 | CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT (INDEX) | INDEX | VIOLENT INDEX |
| 03 | ROBBERY (INDEX) | INDEX | VIOLENT INDEX |
| 04 | AGGRAVATED ASSAULT / BATTERY (INDEX) | INDEX | VIOLENT INDEX |
| 04A | AGGRAVATED ASSAULT (INDEX) | INDEX | VIOLENT INDEX |
| 04B | AGGRAVATED BATTERY (INDEX) | INDEX | VIOLENT INDEX |
| 05 | BURGLARY (INDEX) | INDEX | PROPERTY INDEX |
| 06 | LARCENY – THEFT (INDEX) | INDEX | PROPERTY INDEX |
| 07 | MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT (INDEX) | INDEX | PROPERTY INDEX |
| 08 | SIMPLE ASSAULT / BATTERY | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 08A | SIMPLE ASSAULT | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 08B | SIMPLE BATTERY | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 09 | ARSON (INDEX) | INDEX | PROPERTY INDEX |
| 10 | FORGERY AND COUNTERFEITING | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 11 | FRAUD | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 12 | EMBEZZLEMENT | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 13 | STOLEN PROPERTY: BUY, RECEIVE, POSSESS | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 14 | VANDALISM | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 15 | WEAPONS | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 16 | PROSTITUTION | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 17 | SEX OFFENSE – CRIMINAL SEXUAL ABUSE | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 18 | DRUG ABUSE VIOLATIONS | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 19 | GAMBLING | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 20 | OFFENSES AGAINST FAMILY AND CHILDREN / INVOLVING CHILDREN | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 21 | DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 22 | LIQUOR LAWS | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 24 | DISORDERLY CONDUCT | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| 26 | MISCELLANEOUS NON-INDEX OFFENSES | NON-INDEX | NON-INDEX |
| MCC | MISCELLANEOUS MUNICIPAL CODE VIOLATIONS | MCC | MCC |
| TRF | TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS | TRF | TRF |
| WRT | WARRANT ARRESTS | WRT | WRT |
| 00 | NON-CRIMINAL | NON-CRIMINAL | NON-CRIMINAL |