(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/03/2024) The city of Detroit ended 2023 with 252 murders, the fewest recorded since 1966 and 18.4% fewer than the 309 recorded in 2022, according to numbers released by the city Wednesday.
The city also saw a 16% reduction in nonfatal shootings and a 34% drop in carjackings, which city law enforcement said was the product of a concentrated effort involving federal, state, county, city, judicial and community partners.
Sex assaults, aggravated assaults, burglary and motor vehicle thefts were all down in Detroit in 2023. The only crime to see an increase from 2022 to 2023 was larceny, which was up 11.3%.
The Detroit Police Department (DPD) gave its officers a $10,000 raise in November 2022, allowing DPD to recruit 200 additional officers for 2023.
The department put these officers at community gatherings and block parties to act as a deterrent to potential problems.
The officers also cracked down on neighborhood drag racing and drifting events before they got started. Historically, these events have been a source of fights and gun violence.
Also, the ShotSpotter audio detection system has been expanded to 39 square miles of the city, giving DPD immediate notice of gunfire and allowing a rapid response to cases that otherwise may have gone unreported.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) also “dramatically increased enforcement of gun crime.”
County prosecutors and local courts were also credited with taking various steps to reduce homicide cases.
