After a special task force was created to address a criminal case backlog in Detroit, the city is on pace for the lowest homicide rate in 60 years, with violent crime in general falling at combined rates of 56%.
By the end of the government-enforced lockdowns of the criminal justice system in Wayne County which includes Detroit, there were 4,000 felons awaiting trial; the special task force has reduced that number to 1,400.
As a result of their various efforts, which really just amounted to budget increases and allowing judges and others to work from home, three metrics of violent crime from the first 11 months of 2023 compared with 2022 went down dramatically, with the homicide rate down 18%, and carjackings down 36%.
“We know why violent crime soared in America. The criminal courts shut down—you could not put 12 jurors in a room,” Mayor Mike Duggan said about the program and the reasons behind it.
From another city famous for violent crime, Chicago remains on pace for double-digit percentage declines in the number of homicides and shootings, according to a report from WTTW.
Arriving at a pre-pandemic rate, the year-over-year numbers of shootings and homicides have fallen 19%. Overall crime is also falling, as well as violent crime on public transport.
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Similar reductions in violent crime are occuring further west as well. While property crime and petty theft are rising in Los Angeles, violent crimes of aggravated assault, homicide, shootings, and rape are all down by double digits; some by quite a lot.
Between August of 2022 and August 2023, homicides have fallen by a quarter and rape reports by 17%.
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Whew. That’s great news, but looking at that photo—Detroit seriously needs to plant some trees.