Violent Crime Drops Dramatically In City of Joliet

JOLIET, IL — The city of Joliet has been plagued by violence in recent years, but violent crime has dropped dramatically during the past several months. The Joliet Police Department has gone nearly five entire months without investigating a single homicide.

Joliet's last homicide occurred at 12:01 a.m., Oct. 26, 2020, in the 100 block of Seeser Street when 25-year-old Romeoville resident Ivan Perez-Garcia was fatally shot as he sat inside his parked car in Joliet's St. Patrick's Neighborhood. Four days later, Joliet police arrested 41-year-old Joliet resident Jorge Rosas on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated discharge of a gun and unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

His bail is set at $6 million, and he remains in detention awaiting trial.

To put things in perspective, Joliet's smaller neighbor to the south, the village of Elwood, has investigated more homicides than the Joliet Police Department during the past five months.

On March 2, Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow filed six felony counts against 38-year-old Joliet resident Derrell Draper in connection with an early morning slaying at the CenterPoint Intermodal Center in Elwood.

Homicide victim Bobby Bigger of Shorewood and the murder defendant had just finished their shift at the Home Depot warehouse where they worked for a third-party vendor.

The Elwood killing happened along a stretch of Baseline Road before 3:30 a.m. Bigger was fatally shot as he was driving home from work. The person who ended his life pulled right up to his car, opened fire and drove off.

Why the huge drop in violent crime, particularly shootings, across the city of Joliet during the past five months?

"Aggressive investigation and incarceration of known violent offenders has resulted in a clear significant relationship with the recent lower incidents of violent crime in the Joliet area," Joliet Police Sgt. Dwayne English informed Joliet Patch.

In 2020, Joliet police investigated 15 gun homicides plus another 60 people who suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds across the city.

Historically, most of Joliet's violent crime happened on the east side of town, but last year, 34 people were shot on the west side of Joliet.

Last December, Joliet police responded to two non-fatal shootings.

In December 2019, Joliet police had 18 shooting victims and a total of 19 homicide victims in 2019.

So far in 2021, Joliet police have responded to six total shootings, all involved non-fatal wounds. Three shootings were in January, one was in February and two have been in March.

Five of the six shootings occurred on the west side of Joliet.

Here's a rundown of this year's shooting incidents in the city of Joliet:

Jan. 17: 500 block of East Bellarmine Drive. At 4:28 a.m. a 29-year-old man was shot.

Jan. 20: Larkin Avenue and McDonough Drive. At 2:27 a.m. a 31-year-old man was shot.

Jan. 24: 1200 block of Arthur Avenue. At 11:14 p.m. a 21-year-old man was shot.

Feb. 20: 2006 West Jefferson St., the address for Sidelines Sports Bar. At 2:36 a.m., a 25-year-old man was shot.

March 5: Ingalls Avenue and Infantry Drive. At 3:45 p.m., a 35-year-old man was shot.

March 15: in the 3000 block of Gloria Lane. At 5:12 p.m., an 18-year-old man was shot.

As far as Joliet police gun arrests go, Patch has chronicled numerous crime stories during the past two months.

In case you missed any of them, here's a rundown of ones during that time frame:

3 Arrested, 2 Loaded Guns Recovered On Joliet's East Side: Cops

Stolen Gun, Defaced Gun, Cocaine Seized In Joliet Arrest: Cops

Semi-Automatic Rifle, 95 Pills Seized After Joliet Police Chase

Shots Fired, Joliet Man With Stolen Gun, Cocaine Arrested: JPD

Armed Habitual Criminal In Joliet Tosses Stolen Gun Away: Police

Accused Joliet Drug Dealer Arrested With Gun During Raid: JPD

Shots Fired On Garnsey: Man Arrested By Joliet Police

Joliet House Raid Finds Loaded Gun And Drugs: JPD

Joliet Convicted Felon With Loaded Gun Beats Up Woman: Cops

Woman With Loaded Stolen Gun Arrested On Collins: Cops