DETROIT (WWJ) – Violent crime dropped across the city of Detroit in 2022, but Police Chief James White says that’s “nothing to celebrate.”
White and other Detroit police officials on Monday released the city’s preliminary year-end crime statistics during a press conference. While 2022 saw one more homicide than the year prior, violent crimes – including murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults – dropped by 11%.
The chief said his department is “proud” of the reduction in violence, but said they are “certainly not bragging” and it is “still way too violent.”
"We are not satisfied, we are not celebrating in any way," White said. "We have a huge task in front of us to continue the downward trend we see."
Despite a drop in violent crimes, Detroit saw a 21% increase in carjackings last year, with 260 across the city.
White also said one alarming problem the city saw in 2022 was a spike in juvenile crimes. While he didn’t have a specific number on crimes committed by minors or the number of juveniles who were victims of violent crimes, he said a lot of it appears to be fueled by “very unusual social media conflict.”
“I mean, things as simple as you not liking a particular song. We’ve got kids that are fighting back and forth over that, and it’s very difficult to get a handle on,” White said.
He said while social media is a powerful tool for connecting people across the world, he said there needs to be culpability for social media companies when it comes to online disputes.
Though there was a decrease in violent crimes, property crimes – including burglaries and stolen vehicles – increased by more than 25% last year. White says his department will increase patrols and focus on getting abandoned cars off the streets, identifying particularly dangerous buildings and busting unlicensed businesses in an attempt to make the city safer.
Watch Chief White's full press conference on 2022 crime statistics:
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