Detroit Today: What is driving the decline in Detroit homicides?
Officials attribute the reduction to a partnership between the court system and city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison discusses summer policing strategies at a news conference on May 24, 2023.
Detroit saw a dramatic drop in homicides in 2023 through Nov. 30, putting the city on track to finish the year with the fewest homicides since 1966, according to Detroit police.
Detroit and Wayne County officials reported an 18% reduction in the number of homicides in the city this year compared to the same time period last year, with the city experiencing only 228 homicides as of Dec. 4 — compared to 2018’s total of 261, the fewest number in more than 50 years.
Officials attribute the reduction to a partnership between the court system and city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies, but are there other factors at play?
Detroit Police Department Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald and Ernesto Lopez, research specialist with the Council on Criminal Justice, joined Detroit Today on Friday to discuss what efforts law enforcement has made to reduce homicides and other violent crime in the city, as well as what factors drive homicide in cities like Detroit.
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Guests:
Charles Fitzgerald is the Detroit Police Department Assistant Chief. In addition to efforts by local officials to clear backlogs of felony gun cases, he says DPD followed a specific yearlong crime strategy to reduce gun violence in targeted areas around Detroit.
“This year we stuck to a specific strategy. And it was to reduce gun violence in our top 20 squad car areas across the city,” says Fitzgerald. “It’s being very unapologetic for taking guns off the street.”
Ernesto Lopez is a Research Specialist with the Council on Criminal Justice. He says activities outside of policing, like a strong community, have the ability to resolve a conflict before it turns violent.
“The role of community is extremely important when we think of violent crime, especially homicide,” says Lopez. “What we know from the research is when a community is sort of bonded together, that increases community trust, social cohesion, [and] reporting to police.”
Listen to Detroit Today with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.
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