Business offenses led to eight arrests in Chicago in the fourth quarter of 2025, making them the least common reason for arrests, according to the City of Chicago Data Portal. Data shows that these charges made up 0.1% of total arrests during this period.
The most recurrent charge was class A misdemeanors, with 4,829 arrests.
Minor offenses like shoplifting (under $500), simple battery, and violating domestic violence protective orders fall under Class A misdemeanors in Illinois. Punishments range from up to a year in jail, probation, and fines of $75 to $2,500.
In total, the police department registered 11,135 arrests in the fourth quarter of 2025, a 12.1% decrease from the previous quarter’s 12,673. Data also shows that this marks a decrease of 3.3% from the same period in 2024, when there were 11,517 cases.
Unclassified charges that don’t lead to longer imprisonment are classified either as petty or business offenses. Business offenses are typically addressed through fines of at least $75, but may lead to short terms in jails in extreme cases. They include tax evasion, licensing and permit violations, and intellectual property infringement.
In 2024, Chicago saw a broad decline across several major crime categories compared with 2023, including reductions in both homicides and shootings. The city recorded 572 homicides in 2024, down from 615 the year before, and overall crime continued to fall into 2025. From January 1 through September 7, 2025, total crime victimizations were down 21.2% year-over-year, and from September 8 through November 11 they declined by roughly 28.5%.
Federal officials have credited the downturn to immigration-enforcement efforts, arguing that arrests made during Operation Midway Blitz were responsible. But researchers cited by the Chicago Sun-Times say crime was already trending downward before the operation began, pointing instead to broader national patterns. They also highlight that neighborhoods equipped with gunshot-detection systems, along with expanded coordination between police, community violence-prevention groups, and data-driven resource deployment, saw particularly notable improvements.
| Charge type | Q4 2025 | Q3 2025 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanors | 4,829 | 5,309 | -9% |
| Class 4 felonies | 1,617 | 2,051 | -21.2% |
| Other offenses | 1,573 | 1,860 | -15.4% |
| Class 3 felonies | 633 | 725 | -12.7% |
| Local ordinance violations | 630 | 549 | 14.8% |
| Class B misdemeanors | 550 | 655 | -16% |
| Class 2 felonies | 482 | 602 | -19.9% |
| Class X felonies | 279 | 337 | -17.2% |
| Class C misdemeanors | 226 | 255 | -11.4% |
| Class 1 felonies | 216 | 201 | 7.5% |
| Class M felonies | 60 | 83 | -27.7% |
| Petty offenses | 32 | 32 | 0% |
| Business offenses | 8 | 14 | -42.9% |
Information in this article was obtained from the Chicago Police Department. The source data can be found here.
