Hanover Park reports lowest crime levels in village’s history

Major crimes in Hanover Park declined in 2024 to the lowest levels the village has experienced in at least 50 years.

Mayor Rod Craig signed and presented a proclamation Friday congratulating the police department on the achievement.

“We support our police department with the best training, equipment and staffing they need to do their jobs and go home to their families at the end of their shifts,” Craig said in a statement. “Our historically low crime is something Hanover Park can be proud of as we strive to be a great place to live, work, visit and do business.”

During 2024, 192 Part 1 crimes were recorded in the village while there had been 246 in 2023, a 22% drop from a year ago.

The FBI categorizes Part 1 crimes as murder, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and arson.

Among the most significant findings was the number of non-vehicle thefts dropping from 155 to 120, which police officials had prioritized. Among the measures implemented to assist prevention and detection were the use of new deployment measures and technology like license plate reader cameras.

But the drop was seen in almost every category as well. Murders went from 2 to 0, sexual assaults from 7 to 5, batteries from 33 to 24, burglaries from 21 to 18 and motor vehicle thefts from 18 to 17.

Robberies stayed at 8, but there were no human trafficking cases in either 2023 or 2024.

The village’s Part 1 crimes have been trending downward over the past decade and are dramatically below the levels of 1974 when such statistics began to be kept, officials said.

Police Chief Andrew Johnson thanked the members of his department for their collaborative efforts that resulted in the decline.

“I also greatly appreciate the support from Village Manager (Juliana) Maller, our village board, and Mayor Craig,” he added. “Without that support, we would not have the resources needed to achieve our mission.”

Johnson drew particular attention to the department’s commitment to community policing and the strengthening of its community partnerships.

“We will remain committed to working with our residents, schools, businesses and community stakeholders to identify and address issues in our village as they occur,” he said. “I encourage everyone to connect with us on social media, participate in our (Area Response Team) meetings and events, and keep working with us to keep Hanover Park safe.”