Alton, Illinois

According to annual FBI crime statistics, the overall crime rate in Alton is 88% higher than the Illinois average and 70% higher than the national average. Nonetheless, vehicle thefts continue to outpace all other categories in growth and have more than tripled over the last decade. The primary focus of this technology-oriented project is to reduce violent and vehicular crimes by implementing technology and data-driven policing. Alton wants to expand its use of technology by adding a substantial number of cameras and LPRs and create an integrated technology hub to address the high level of violence and rapidly growing vehicle thefts. In addition, the project will invest in data-driven policing by developing crime analysis capacity that will also enhance community transparency.

Data Highlight:

• According to annual FBI crime statistics, the overall crime rate in Alton is 88% higher than the Illinois average and 70% higher than the national average.
• Alton’s violent crime rate hovered between 720 and nearly 1,000 per 100,000 between 2018 and 2020, double the national average.
• The city also has a high poverty rate (27.5%) that sits well above regional and national levels (~12%).
• Like many other cities across the US, Alton experienced a large increase in crime levels between 2019 and 2020, with levels reducing a bit between 2021 and 2022.