Crime reports jumped 24% in Normal last year.
According to the department’s annual report posted online, assault and battery incidents were up 29%, thefts rose 33%, and car burglaries jumped 53%. Drug offenses increased 32% while sexual assaults, firearms and weapons offenses also increased but at lower rates.
Police Chief Steve Petrilli said the rise in thefts and car burglaries reflects a rise in crimes of opportunity, and he said the trend is manageable.
“My attention goes to the crimes that have a nexus to theft and those were things that definitely were on our radar throughout 2023 but I don’t think are indicative of any type of threat to the community," Petrilli said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
Petrilli said more community education should help reduce thefts — by having people lock their car doors and take other safety precautions.
Petrilli says not only has the police department's call load increased, but a greater percentage of calls he says are mental health related.
Crime in Bloomington dropped 6% last year.
The Town of Normal also saw a big jump in car and pedestrian crashes in 2023.
The police department's annual crime report shows a 20% increase in personal-injury crashes and a 59% jump in crashes involving pedestrians.
Petrilli said he hopes more public education about safe driving will reduce those numbers.
“(There are) more people in the community, more people in the area creates a little traffic congestion, but also the distractions that come into play with a lot of electronic communications I think is a significant factor,” Petrilli said.
Normal Police made 18% fewer drunk driving arrests last year. Petrilli said the department's traffic enforcement staffing has not changed over the last year.
Diversity hiring
The Town of Normal's police department remains well short of its diversity hiring targets, but Petrilli said the department remains committed to the 30x30 initiative. That sets a goal of a police force that's 30% women by 2030.
“Being more intentional with our recruiting efforts, trying to get our message in front of people that we believe will be solid additions to the police department,” Petrilli said are the department’s main diversity hiring strategies.
Less than 15% of officers on Normal's force are female. Minority officers make up 16% based on the police department's annual report.
New contract
The Normal Town Council recently approved a new contract with the town’s police union. The agreement calls for pay raises of 6% in the first year and 15% over four years.
“It lends to the great relationship the town has maintained with the PBPA (Police Benevolent and Protective Association) Unit 22. We work as a partnership,” Petrilli said.
Petrilli said he believes the higher pay will better help the department hire more officers.
“With recruiting it’s tough, let’s face it,” he said.
Petrilli said the department will be fully staffed once seven officer candidates complete academy training.
