DETROIT – The Detroit Police Department held a news conference Thursday morning to discuss the city’s crime statistics for 2017.
Chief James Craig was joined by Mayor Mike Duggan to announce a reduction in homicides and other violent crimes.
According to the Detroit Police Department, total violent crimes are down 12 percent in Detroit.
There were 267 homicides last year, down from 302 in 2016. The last time Detroit saw fewer homicides was in 1966.
READ: Detroit sees lowest homicide number in more than 50 years
Carjackings are down 41 percent.
"The steady progress we are making to reduce violent crime in our city is a result of the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Detroit Police Department and all of our partner agencies," Duggan said. "This work begins and ends with each of them."
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City officials credit the reductions to four strategies:
- Hiring - More than 500 new officers were hired over the last two years and more than 100 were moved from desk jobs to the street.
- Technology - A Real Time Crime Center was opened improving intelligence gathering and sharing information between law enforcement partners.
- Ceasefire Detroit: A multi-agency effort designed to address gang-related gun crimes.
- Project Green Light: Cameras were installed in 231 gas stations, restaurants, party stores and residential buildings.
"If you look at hour other major cities have been able to deliver sustained reductions in violent crime, it has been a process of identifying the right strategies and building on them year by year," Craig said. "It also involves having the right partners and we have been fortunate to have great partners at the local, state and federal level working on this."