INKSTER, Mich. – The city of Inkster finds itself with a good trend for the new year.
The police department reported violent crimes were down 24 percent in 2018. Inkster Police Chief William Riley believes a lot of factors are linked to the decline in crime, but he said getting officers into the neighborhoods was key to what they're seeing in a city once troubled by crime and negative police perception.
"Like it or not, there's a perception of the city of Inkster," Riley said.
The area around the former Oakland Manor apartments placed a huge strain on the police force and left neighbors surrounded by crime.
"I know police were down here twice a night every night for years," said Inkster native Karri Command.
Now, security gates are up, cameras are installed and police, with new residents, cleaned up a once problematic complex where violent crimes would take place.
One building in the complex called police more than 400 times in 2011. The drop in crime has been significant.
"That's great. I'm glad the neighborhood is being cleaned back up," Command said. "Especially since our police department has been cut back so hard."
Before Riley was brought in, the Inkster Police Department had been cut down to 24 officers from 72. The national recession hit Michigan and hard affected budgets.
Now, 28 officers patrol, but Riley said if they continue working hard, the downward trend should continue.