DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit police say the number of violent crimes in the city continues on a downward trend, despite some troubling stats.
Speaking at a news conference Friday, Chief James Craig said while the homicide rate year-over-year went up 5%, it's at its lowest rate since the 1970s on a per capita basis (about 40.4 homicides per 100,000 people).
While there were slight increases in 2019 in homicides, nonfatal shootings, robberies and stolen vehicles in the city, Craig said total violent crime in the city dropped 4% from where it was in 2018. That's thanks, he said, to a dramatic 21% decrease in carjackings.
There were 273 homicides in Detroit in 2019 according to police. There were 764 nonfatal shootings, up 3% from 739 last year,
"I'm not flagging, or waving a flag of success. I'm not," Craig said. "But I will tell you progress, absolutely...but we can't do it alone."
The chief stressed that most violence in the city is not random.
"Arguments were the leading motive for both homicides, 34%, and non-fatal shootings at 31%," he told WWJ's Jon Hewett and other reporters.
The chief praised the work of his officers but also thanked the various state and federal partners.
While the department is reporting a 52% closure rate for homicide investigations, Craig said "rigor" is also very important.
Looking forward, the chief said he does think his investigators can do better.
"You heard me talk about there were two troubling times during the year," Craig said. "One in July where we saw an uptick in shootings and homicides, and the other time in late November, December...I can tell you candidly, as I oftentimes do, when people start getting shot, some homicides, I didn't feel like we reacted as quickly as I would have liked.
"So I'm going to be holding station commanding officers strictly accountable to address upticks in crime. I really don't care what it is."
Specifically, Craig said in some cases follow-up investigations need to be more thorough.
"Particularly on shootings at inhabited dwellings, we've had a problem, We didn't do the kind of follow-up that I thought was necessary," he said. "But going forward, any shooting incident — anytime a firearm is used — the expectation is there will be a thorough follow-up."
In one high-profile case, a suspect in a shooting into a home was allegedly identified by a victim. Still at large two weeks later, the same man allegedly shot two Detroit police officers, killing one of them,
