Crime Statistics Don't Tell // Numbers Down, But Fear Is Up

Serious crime in Chicago Housing Authority developments droppedin 1993 to its lowest level in five years, recently released crimestatistics show.

But that's of little comfort to residents in the CHA's largestdevelopments, some of whom were too terrified to go near theirwindows for fear of errant gunfire during a recent rash of gunfire.

Looking at all of 1993, the numerical drop in crime doesn't tellthe tale.

CHA residents were two to three times more likely to be thevictim of a violent crime last year than were other Chicagoans, theCHA analysis of Chicago police statistics show. That is about thesame likelihood as five years ago.

There were …