The number of crime incidents in Elgin saw an overall decrease last week, for the fourth week in a row, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents fell to 261 for the week of March 4, down from 295 the week before.

The specific offenses that decreased the most were vandalism and assault. Vandalism fell to two incidents last week, from seven the week before. Assault went from 19 to 16. Reports of vandalism have continued to fall for the last two weeks.

There were two reported burglary incidents last week. That represents a decrease from four incidents the previous week. There were also 22 incidents of theft, down from 24 the week before.

There were 219 reports of "other" crimes, a decrease of 20 from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations. Of those incidents, 18 involved arrests, such as for drug possession, down from 24 reported arrests the week before.

Regarding when crime most often occurs, Wednesdays, Fridays and Thursdays witnessed the most reported crimes last week. The largest decrease from the previous week occurred on Sundays, Mondays and Saturdays, while incidents on Wednesdays and Thursdays went up. Comparing times of day, late afternoon, evening and early afternoon saw the most crime last week.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area.

This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.

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