Detroit’s crime rate fell slightly in 2013, according to data released by the city’s police department Thursday.
Detroit recorded 333 criminal homicides last year, down from 386 in 2012.
Non-fatal shootings also declined, though there were still well over 1,100 of them.
Overall, violent crime declined by 7%, and property crime was down by the same amount.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig says the department is “committed to utilizing innovative data- driven strategies to continue to reduce violent crime in our city.”
Detroit emergency manager Kevyn Orr brought Craig on board to run the historically troubled department midway through 2013. Under a power-sharing agreement with new Mayor Mike Duggan, Craig still reports directly to Orr.
Craig has moved quickly to overhaul the police department by reorganizing top command staff, reinstituting police precincts, and introducing a more computer-driven approach to policing. He credits these moves and “relentless drive” with pushing Detroit’s crime rate down.
But Detroit is still by far one of the nation’s most violent cities, and Craig says this year’s goal is to cut the crime rate an additional 10%.
