DETROIT (WWJ) – Homicides and non-fatal shootings decreased in 2021 compared to a year prior, despite a more violent start to the year.
Detroit Police Chief James White, during a Thursday press conference with other law enforcement partners, including Michigan State Police, Wayne County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, ATF and others, said violent gun crimes dropped last year.
The city closed 2021 with 309 homicides, a 4% reduction compared to 2020, a 9% reduction in non-fatal shootings and an 18% reduction in armed robberies, White announced Thursday. He also noted burglaries dropped slightly by 2%.
“We are not in any way celebrating these numbers,” White said, noting any time “a mother has to bury a child, a husband has to bury a wife,” or residents in general have to say goodbye to loved ones because of gun violence, “one homicide is one too many.”
The drop in both homicides and non-fatal shootings across Detroit last year came after the city saw a spike in such violence in the first five months of the year, according to White.
Through May, the department reported 23 more homicides and 118 more non-fatal shootings compared to the same time in 2020.
Both of those statistics were the highest the city has seen since 2013.
By the end of 2021, however, Detroit reported 14 fewer homicides compared to the previous year and 105 fewer non-fatal shootings compared to 2020.
The downward trend came after White became the city’s police chief in June and promptly implemented a five-point plan in June, aiming to crack down on crime across the city during the summer.
The plan focused on an increased police presence, strict noise enforcement, cracking down on drag racing and drifting, parking lot code enforcement and “most importantly,” the chief said, community engagement.
Numbers began to fall in the summer months and dropped below the previous year’s statistics at the end of September, continuing that downward trend through the end of the year.
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Assistant Chief David LeValley echoed White’s sentiments in “not celebrating” the drop in numbers, but it was encouraging to see the department’s enforcement appeared to have an impact.
“It’s not reason to celebrate because we have homicides and non-fatal shootings that we have to deal with in the city,” LeValley said during Thursday’s press conference. But we think that the efforts we have put into place, we saw positive effects from that and it’s something that we’re going to continue throughout the coming year.”
White said DPD, U.S. Marshals, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and other local agencies partnered in 2021 to apprehend violent offenders, making 1,815 felony arrests and recovering 180 firearms.
"That likely resulted in a number of people not meeting their demise," White said.
DPD officials say the Regional Central Gun Intelligence Center hub allows for the tracking of guns across multiple incidents and multiple jurisdictions to apprehend violent offenders and has had quite the impact.
As for goals ahead in 2022, White mentioned a renewed and greater focus on victims of criminal sexual conduct and helping them be better educated on how to report such assaults.
More information on the city’s crime statistics can be found on the department’s website and Thursday’s entire press conference can be viewed on the department’s Facebook page.
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