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Offense Category

Theft


What is it?

Stealing property or goods from another person.

What does our data show?

As with most property crimes in Cook County, the number of theft cases — which includes charges from retail theft to theft from coin-operated machines — steadily decreased between 2000 and 2018. Cases continued to drop after Kim Foxx became the state’s attorney and instituted a policy to prosecute felony shoplifting only for thefts of more than $1,000. The Chicago Reporter detailed the effect that this policy has had.

Charges

Detailed charts are unavailable for charges with fewer than 750 cases.

  • Felony
  • Misdemeanor
Jan 2000Jan 2004Jan 2008Jan 2012Jan 20160500100015002000

Race and Gender

This data shows that Black people make up the vast majority of criminal defendants charged in Cook County. Of the more than 3 million criminal cases filed in Cook County between 2000 and 2018, more than 61% were filed against Black people, even though Black people only make up 23% of the county’s population.

Research suggests the disparity has more to do with social inequity than an inherent link between race and criminality. Concentrated poverty in urban areas increases the likelihood of certain violent and property crimes, particularly in under-resourced, racially segregated communities. Black people are the most racially isolated group in Cook County and tend to live in communities where intergenerational poverty and violence, abetted by segregation, disinvestment, and institutionalized racism, have limited opportunities for many.

The disparities in charges also reflect inequities and racial bias in policing. Black people are disproportionately targeted for arrest. These numbers reflect overall trends seen in our era of mass incarceration, driven especially by law enforcement strategies such as Broken Windows policing, stop and frisk, disproportionate stops of Black drivers, and disparities in drug arrests.

Charges by Race and Ethnicity

Charges by race and ethnicity, men and women (230,941).

Black134,980 cases58.45%

Charges by race and ethnicity, men only (142,550).

Black85,022 cases59.64%

Charges by race and ethnicity, women only (87,640).

Black49,933 cases56.98%

Charges by Gender

Charges by gender, all races and ethnicities (230,941).

Male142,550 cases61.73%

Charges by gender, Black alone (134,980).

Male85,022 cases62.99%

Charges by gender, white alone (63,583).

Male37,401 cases58.82%

Charges by gender, Latinx alone (18,095).

Male13,329 cases73.66%

Charges by gender, other or unknown race or ethnicity (14,283).

Male6,798 cases47.60%

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2016