Elgin Artspace Lofts building on Spring Street in downtown Elgin in September 2021.
Glass from the broken front door and counters is strewn all over the floor of Cook's Sweet Shop on Chicago Street in downtown Elgin following a June 23 break-in in which a burglar made off with $250. That’s not the case anymore as more and more people come downtown for weddings, concerts, dining and shopping, he said. The Downtown Elgin Farmers Market had a record-breaking opening day in June, drawing more than 3,000 visitors.That’s not to say some of what Cook had to say isn’t true. In 2021, Elgin police handled 1,567 service calls downtown and made 57 arrests, data shows.
“I think obviously there are more people going out and about so more people are calling” with complaints, Martino said. “People are back to their normal lives.”“Officers are obviously being more proactive in the downtown area,” Martino said. While there’s no specific downtown detail, as there had been in 2020, police are doing more enforcement, he said.