CHICAGO — The Jefferson Park Police District saw an uptick in burglaries, assaults and car thefts in November compared to the same period last year, according to city data.
Robberies, meanwhile, fell by nearly half, from 23 to 12 reported incidents.
At 36 square miles, the Jefferson Park district covers more ground than any other district in the city. It stretches from Six Corners to O'Hare Airport and the western city limits.
On Wednesday, Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38th) announced that 12 more officers are headed to the district by the end of December, fulfilling Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson's promise to beef up the district by the end of the year.
Facing a spike in reported crime, Sposato joined other aldermen on the Far Northwest Side in June to demand reinforcements from Johnson, coaxing the top cop to commit 20 more officers to the district by the end of the year.
Fewer than 200 officers are charged with covering the 36 square-mile district, and many residents reported feeling unprotected amid a citywide crime surge.
So far this year, 14 people have been shot in Portage Park.
In Norwood Park, there has been one murder and one non-fatal shooting in 2016.
In Dunning, there has been one murder and three non-fatal shootings.
Sauganash has seen two non-fatal shootings.
There have been no shootings in the Jefferson Park, Edison Park or O'Hare community areas in 2016.
As of Dec. 6, more than 4,026 people had been shot in Chicago in 2016, according to DNAinfo records. The city has seen 634 homicides since January, already more than any other year since 2002.
Last month, the City Council passed a 2017 budget including $60 million to hire 250 new officers, 92 new field-training officers, 100 new detectives, 37 new sergeants and 50 new lieutenants across the city's 22 police districts.
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