Richard Irvin Caught Trumping Up Crime Statistics to Promote Bogus “Tough-on-Crime” Platform

Irvin’s Claim Deemed “Misleading and Disingenuous”

Richard Irvin has lied through the first two months of his campaign, and now he’s being called out for misleading Illinoisans with exaggerated crime statistics.

Last week, a non-partisan watchdog fact-checked Irvin’s claim that he reduced homicides by 40% his first year in office. They found the claim “misleading and disingenuous” because there were just 11 homicides over two years.

Using the same math, the homicide rate during Irvin’s second year in office jumped 200%. “It is sort of ridiculous for a mayor to say they lowered homicides by 40%,” said expert Ted Gest. 

And today in Crain’s Chicago Business, columnist Greg Hinz questioned whether Irvin’s anti-crime record is as good as he says it is. (Hint: It’s not.)

Data indicates that criminal sexual assault and aggravated assault/battery have become major issues in Aurora during Irvin’s tenure. The overall level of serious violent crimes has climbed steadily since 2018.

Despite basing his campaign on being “tough-on-crime,” Irvin refuses to explain why he profited from trying to keep the same violent criminals he condemns in campaign ads out of jail.

He’s also been slammed for taking millions in donations from Ken Griffin, whose company invests millions in gun manufacturers who make one of every four guns recovered by police and used in Chicago homicides since 2017.

“Richard Irvin is running on lies because his true record is too weak to stand on,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “If Irvin wants Illinoisans to believe he’s ‘tough-on-crime,’ then he should stop manipulating statistics and answer for his history of profiting from keeping violent offenders out of jail, and reject his megadonor’s gun money.”

###