Chicago Criminal Sexual Assault: 2,929 Incidents Logged, Low Arrest Rate in Sample

Chicago municipal records logged exactly 2,929 incidents of Criminal Sexual Assault in a recent reporting window.

These figures, drawn directly from public safety logs, reveal distinct geographic clustering and a notably low immediate clearance rate. When analyzing Chicago police incident data, the numbers highlight a gap between reported offenses and on-scene arrests.

Key takeaway: A detailed sample of early 2026 Criminal Sexual Assault records reveals a 0% immediate arrest rate, contrasting sharply with other domestic-flagged offenses like Weapons Violations which show a 71.6% arrest frequency.

Understanding these patterns requires looking past the aggregate totals. By examining specific block addresses, domestic flags, and incident severity codes, a clearer picture of public safety logistics emerges.

Overview of Criminal Sexual Assault Incidents in Chicago

The total volume of 2,929 reported incidents establishes Criminal Sexual Assault as a high-frequency offense within the city's tracking systems.

Municipal data classifies these incidents under specific primary types to standardize reporting across all districts. Every incident is assigned a severity code, with the vast majority in this category carrying a "02" designation. This standardization allows analysts to track volume across different beats and community areas.

Here is the thing: aggregate numbers only tell part of the story.

To understand how these incidents materialize on the street, we have to look at the granular, incident-level logs. A randomized 13-case sample from the first half of 2026 provides a window into exactly where and how these reports are filed.

Sample Incident Log: Early 2026

The table below details 13 specific incidents, tracking their exact dates, locations, and sub-categorizations.

Geographic Distribution of Reported Incidents

The geographic spread of Chicago crime incidents 2026 data shows reports originating across multiple distinct community areas.

Rather than being isolated to a single district, these incidents are logged from the far north side down to the southern borders. However, specific addresses do show repeat activity within short timeframes.

Take the 002XX E HURON ST block in Community Area 8. This single block logged two separate incidents in the sample just eight days apart.

• May 31, 2026: Incident 14216305 was reported at 02:00.
• June 8, 2026: Incident 14225299 was reported at 00:00.

Both Community Area 8 Criminal Sexual Assault reports were classified as non-aggravated. Neither resulted in an immediate arrest.

Other incidents show a wider distribution. A predatory report surfaced in Community Area 43 on S Dorchester Ave, while an aggravated handgun report was filed in Community Area 40 on S Indiana Ave. This dispersion indicates that response protocols must be maintained uniformly across all police beats, from Beat 1834 to Beat 0231.

Incident Descriptions and Severity

Not all reports carry the same descriptive tags. Chicago police use specific sub-categories to define the nature of the offense, which dictates the investigative resources required.

In our 13-case sample, the descriptions break down into four distinct categories:

• NON-AGGRAVATED: The most common tag, accounting for 9 of the 13 incidents.
• AGGRAVATED - OTHER: Logged twice, including an incident on N Keeler Ave.
• PREDATORY: Logged once, tied to incident 14156008 in early April.
• AGGRAVATED - HANDGUN: Logged once, tied to incident 14104986 in February.

The presence of a handgun elevates the immediate threat level for responding officers. Despite this, the aggravated handgun incident on S Indiana Ave still shows an arrest value of 0 in the immediate incident log.

This highlights a critical reality in public safety data: the severity of the initial report does not automatically correlate with an immediate on-scene apprehension.

Temporal Patterns in the Data

Time of day plays a significant role in when these incidents are logged.

A review of the timestamps shows a heavy concentration in the early morning hours. Of the 13 sample incidents, 7 were reported between midnight and 04:00.

For example, incident 14095613 on S Ellis Ave was logged at 03:00. Another report on W Albion Ave was logged at 04:00. This late-night clustering aligns with broader historical trends in Chicago Criminal Sexual Assault statistics, requiring specific staffing models for overnight beats.

Arrest and Domestic Flags in Criminal Sexual Assault Cases

The most striking metric in the sample data is the clearance rate.

Out of the 13 incidents detailed above, exactly 0 resulted in an immediate arrest at the time the report was filed. The Criminal Sexual Assault arrest rate Chicago logs in this initial phase is effectively zero.

But there is a catch.

Incident logs only capture the immediate outcome of the initial police response. Complex investigations often require forensic evidence processing, witness interviews, and warrant approvals before an arrest can be made. Therefore, a "0" in the arrest column of an incident report does not mean the case is permanently closed; it means no one was taken into custody at the exact time of the report.

The Role of Domestic Flags

Another critical data point is the "domestic" flag. Chicago police mark incidents with a domestic = 1 flag when the offense involves family members or individuals in a domestic relationship.

In our sample, two incidents carried this flag:

• Incident 14237569: An aggravated incident on N Keeler Ave logged at 16:49.
• Incident 14094977: A non-aggravated incident on W Granville Ave logged at 20:00.

Chicago domestic sexual assault cases present unique investigative challenges. Even when the perpetrator is known to the victim, as indicated by the domestic flag, immediate arrests are not guaranteed. Both of these domestic-flagged incidents show an arrest value of 0.

Comparison with Other Domestic-Flagged Offenses

To understand if this low immediate arrest rate is unique to sexual assault, we must compare it to other domestic-flagged offenses in the city.

The secondary dataset below tracks the total incidents, total arrests, and the resulting arrest percentages for various domestic-flagged crimes across Chicago.

The result? Arrest rates vary wildly depending on the nature of the crime.

Why Weapons Violations Clear Faster

When a domestic incident involves a Weapons Violation, the arrest rate spikes to 71.6%.

This high clearance rate is driven by the physical nature of the evidence. If officers respond to a domestic call and find an illegal firearm on the premises, the possession itself is grounds for immediate arrest. The evidence is tangible, immediate, and requires little secondary investigation to establish probable cause.

The Challenge of Pattern Crimes

Conversely, crimes that rely on establishing a pattern of behavior or require extensive victim testimony show much lower immediate arrest rates.

Domestic Stalking incidents result in an arrest only 5.5% of the time. Similarly, domestic-flagged Theft clears at just 3.8%. These offenses often require detectives to subpoena digital records, review surveillance footage, or untangle complex ownership disputes before a warrant can be issued.

The 0% immediate arrest rate seen in our Criminal Sexual Assault sample aligns more closely with these complex, evidence-heavy investigations than with the immediate physical evidence of a weapons charge.

Property Damage vs. Personal Harm

Property crimes flagged as domestic sit in the middle of the spectrum.

Domestic Criminal Damage logged 6,492 incidents with an 8.4% arrest rate. Criminal Trespass cleared at 18.5%. While property damage leaves physical evidence, officers still must prove who caused the damage, which often results in the suspect leaving the scene before police arrive.

Examining the Broader Public Safety Ecosystem

The data from these public safety logs provides a stark look at the realities of municipal law enforcement.

When you browse the broader type directory, it becomes clear that police response is heavily dictated by incident classification. A report of a predatory assault triggers a vastly different protocol than a report of criminal damage, yet both may initially result in the suspect remaining at large.

The 2,929 incidents of Criminal Sexual Assault represent a massive logistical load for the city's investigative units. Every single one of those reports, whether flagged as domestic or involving a handgun, requires follow-up beyond the initial patrol response.

Truth is: the numbers we see in the open data portals are just the starting line.

An incident ID like 14104986 is generated the moment the call is cleared by dispatch. The actual resolution of that case may take months to materialize in court records, long after the initial data point is published.

What This Means

• High Volume, Low Immediate Clearance: Chicago recorded 2,929 Criminal Sexual Assault incidents, but random sampling shows immediate on-scene arrests are exceedingly rare (0% in the sample).
• Domestic Flags Don't Guarantee Arrests: Even when the perpetrator is known to the victim (domestic = 1), immediate arrests are not standard procedure, likely due to the need for deeper evidence gathering.
• Offense Type Dictates Arrest Probability: Domestic offenses with physical contraband, like Weapons Violations, clear at 71.6%, while complex interpersonal crimes like Stalking clear at just 5.5%.
• Geographic Repeatability: Specific blocks, such as 002XX E HURON ST, can see multiple incidents logged within a matter of days, requiring targeted patrol strategies.

You can explore more municipal data and read further analysis on our blog or by browsing the main home page.