Springfield Police Chief concerned over surge of violent crime in the city

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — From January-September 2023 to January- September 2024, overall crime in Springfield increased by 10%, according to Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette.

The chief said burglaries are up 81% and the combined cases of drug arrests, drug equipment violations, and weapons violations make up nearly 35% of the annual crime increase.

He spoke to city council sharing how concerned he has become over gun violence, especially when it comes to repeat offenders and juveniles.

"These numbers are not acceptable and we have to address them," said Chief Scarlette. "Not only do we have two young men that were struck while they were riding their bikes, we also had an individual that was gunned down and killed over the weekend, and that is the fourth shooting that we've had in a handful of days all throughout our community."

Scarlette said the Pretrial Fairness Act has had a big impact on crime numbers as well. He mentioned a specific case where people shot at a house, but were released before their trial. He also said this tends to happen with retail theft cases, where people get caught, arrested, released, and then steal again.

For the last year, Scarlette says he's seen an influx in juveniles returned to their parents' care instead of put in a detention facility. He says this is partially due to the Sangamon County Juvenile Facility closing.

"There are no beds available for these juveniles, and then the response is, we release the juvenile back to the Guardian," said Chief Scarlette. "And that's the concern of mine, that should be a concern of everyone in this town, because it makes the juveniles feel emboldened, especially those individuals ... that have a track record in the history of causing problems and violence."

Scarlette said his department needs more support from the community in order to connect with teens and help them find a better path in life.