Detroit Crime Rate Lowers Again in 2014: Still Needs Work

Detroit's Crime Rate

With the Detroit crime rate lowering, is it becoming a safer city?

There are a lot of reasons why Detroiters are feeling more hopeful these days. The emergency manager has stepped down and the bankruptcy ended. Now Detroit has lowered its crime rate once again.

Many people still consider Detroit a dangerous city and with good reason. The residents themselves haven’t felt safe. But, all that is changing.

In an article published by the Huffington Post, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said,

“People feel safer. Oftentimes people will feel comfortable walking their dog in neighborhoods that in the past they would not. So while I talk about statistics, and it’s an important metric and certainly helps us [identify areas to address], what’s most important to me is that perception, the fear of crime [has lessened].”

So What Are Those Statistics?

There is no doubt about it that crime is down in Detroit, but by how much? How is Detroit doing in comparison to other big cities? I’ve collected the follow statistics from the Detroit Free Press and The Huffington Post.

  • Murder rates were down almost 10% in Detroit compared to the previous year.
  • Detroit also saw a 33% decrease in robberies in 2014 compared to 2013.
  • 2012, the deadliest year since 1994, 55 homicides per 100,000 people.
  • 2013, as reported by the Detroit Free Press, 47.5 homicides per 100,000 people.
  • 2014, as reported by The Huffington Post, 44 homicides per 100,000.

Detroit is making progress. Let’s take a moment and look at what other big cities homicides rates look like,

  • In Chicago, the homicide rate was 15 per 100,000 people in 2014.
  • In New York City, the homicide rate was 4 per 100,000 people in 2014.

More Difficult Detroit Crime Stats to Swallow Statistics

  • The leading killer for children ages 1 – 18 in Detroit is homicide.
  • Eighty-seven percent of Detroit high school students say in the last 12 months, a family member or friend has been shot, disabled, or murdered due to violence.

What Does This All Mean for Detroit

The numbers are scary, especially concerning our younger generation. Progress has been made but the Chief of Police is right, there is still a lot of work to do.
In an article I published last year, we saw the different components that lead to the drop in crime rates for 2013.

One of those components included police officers moving from 12 hour shifts to 8 hour shifts.

We also remember when Chief James Craig graced the cover of the NRA Magazine reminding citizens to protect themselves.

Police Chief James Craig, reported by CBS stated,

“We’re talking about people who are faced with an imminent threat or great bodily injury. That’s what we’re talking about here. So I stand by that, I support it,” –

Over to You

What do you think the future holds for Detroit? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.