Crime in Detroit, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Crime in Detroit, Michigan
has decreased significantly since the 1970s. In 2007, the city had the sixth highest number of violent crimes among the twenty-five largest cities. FBI reports for 2008 show that the numbers of violent crimes dropped 11.6% in the city of Detroit, continuing a downward trend: overall, crime in the city of Detroit dropped 23 percent from 2000 to 2004. In 2010, city of Detroit neighborhoods were not listed as among those in major cities with the 25 highest crime rates in the U.S. as reported by NeighborhoodScout.com.
Crime is unevenly distributed throughout the city. A 2006 study showed crime
in downtown Detroit (CBD
) is much lower than national, state and metro averages.
Accurate statistics can be difficult to find; according to a 2008 report, the Detroit Police Department under-reported homicides through incorrect classification. The department admitted that it excluded justifiable homicides classified as self-defense in its initial 2008 report, but that is consistent with how the FBI reports homicide numbers.
Detroit recorded 308 criminal homicides in 2010, a 15.4% drop from the previous years count of 364. Non-fatal shootings were also down 10.5% from the previous year.
's Crime Analysis Unit has reported that crimes have dropped by 24 percent since the introduction of casino gaming to the city. The number of homicides peaked in 1974 at 714 and again in 1991 with 615. By the end of 2010, the homicide count fell to 308 for the year with an estimated population of just over 900,000, the lowest count and rate since 1967. According to a 2007 analysis, Detroit officials noted that about 65 to 70 percent of homicides in the city were confined to a narcotics catalyst.
In April 2008, the city unveiled a $300-million stimulus plan to create jobs and revitalize neighborhoods, financed by city bonds and paid for by earmarking about 15% of the wagering tax. The city's plans for revitalization include 7-Mile/Livernois, Brightmoor, East English Village, Grand River/Greenfield, North-End, and Osborn. Private organizations have pledged substantial funding to neighborhood revitalization efforts.
The city had faced many cases of arson
in abandoned homes each year on Devil's Night
, the evening before Halloween
. The Angel's Night
campaign, launched in the late 1990s, draws many volunteers to patrol the streets during Halloween week. The effort reduced arson: while there were 810 fires set in 1984, this was reduced to 742 in 1996. In recent years, fires on this three-night period have dropped even further. In 2009, the Detroit Fire Department reported 119 fires over this period, of which 91 were classified as suspected arsons.
Many of these problems have been blamed on the increased white flight
and court-ordered busing
to desegregate its schools during the 1970s which contributed to urban decay
, poverty, increased unemployment, and de facto segregation
of the inner city. The city was largely emptied of its remaining white population by 1980. Although "Renaissance" has been the city's phrase for development since the 1970s, many have charged Mayor Coleman Young
with a polarizing style that accelerated the white flight
. During the administration of Dennis Archer
, who succeeded Young, Detroit saw middle-class residents moving into the city, and growth in residential and commercial development. The city has improved in the early 21st century, making use of increased funding from the state to demolish condemned buildings.
In 2000, the city requested an investigation by the United States Justice Department into the Detroit Police Department
which was concluded in 2003, following allegations regarding its use of force and civil rights violations. From 2005 to 2006, the city proceeded with a large scale reorganization of the Detroit Police Department, reducing the number of precincts from twelve to six "districts." The stated purpose of this reorganization was to improve services. The reorganization and the city's search for a new police headquarters raised concerns within the Detroit Police Department which included overcrowding issues and increased response times. Michigan and Detroit economic squeezes sustained re-organizational impetus. Then Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings
(now retired) reassigned sworn officers from desks to squad cars, consolidating and reducing the number of precincts.
In 2007, Detroit had been named the most dangerous city in the country by the Morgan Quitno
report published by CQ Press Press, a private group whose report is denounced by the American Society of Criminology as an "irresponsible misuse" of crime data. The U.S Conference of Mayors and the FBI have cautioned against using the Morgan Quitno - CQ Press report ranking cities as 'safest' or 'most dangerous'.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
has decreased significantly since the 1970s. In 2007, the city had the sixth highest number of violent crimes among the twenty-five largest cities. FBI reports for 2008 show that the numbers of violent crimes dropped 11.6% in the city of Detroit, continuing a downward trend: overall, crime in the city of Detroit dropped 23 percent from 2000 to 2004. In 2010, city of Detroit neighborhoods were not listed as among those in major cities with the 25 highest crime rates in the U.S. as reported by NeighborhoodScout.com.
Crime is unevenly distributed throughout the city. A 2006 study showed crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
in downtown Detroit (CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
) is much lower than national, state and metro averages.
Accurate statistics can be difficult to find; according to a 2008 report, the Detroit Police Department under-reported homicides through incorrect classification. The department admitted that it excluded justifiable homicides classified as self-defense in its initial 2008 report, but that is consistent with how the FBI reports homicide numbers.
Detroit recorded 308 criminal homicides in 2010, a 15.4% drop from the previous years count of 364. Non-fatal shootings were also down 10.5% from the previous year.
Crime reduction
The Detroit Police DepartmentDetroit Police Department
The Detroit Police Department , established in 1865, is responsible for the city of Detroit, Michigan.-History:The Detroit Police Department was established in 1865 to serve the city's growing population and covers the city with 5 districts and two precincts. The Detroit Police Department was also...
's Crime Analysis Unit has reported that crimes have dropped by 24 percent since the introduction of casino gaming to the city. The number of homicides peaked in 1974 at 714 and again in 1991 with 615. By the end of 2010, the homicide count fell to 308 for the year with an estimated population of just over 900,000, the lowest count and rate since 1967. According to a 2007 analysis, Detroit officials noted that about 65 to 70 percent of homicides in the city were confined to a narcotics catalyst.
In April 2008, the city unveiled a $300-million stimulus plan to create jobs and revitalize neighborhoods, financed by city bonds and paid for by earmarking about 15% of the wagering tax. The city's plans for revitalization include 7-Mile/Livernois, Brightmoor, East English Village, Grand River/Greenfield, North-End, and Osborn. Private organizations have pledged substantial funding to neighborhood revitalization efforts.
The city had faced many cases of arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
in abandoned homes each year on Devil's Night
Devil's Night
Devil's Night or Hell Night ' is a name associated with October 30th, the night before Halloween. It is related to the "Mischief night" practiced in other parts of the United States and the world, but is chiefly associated with the serious vandalism and arson seen in Detroit, Michigan from the...
, the evening before Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
. The Angel's Night
Angel's Night
Angels' Night is an event designed to mitigate criminal acts associated with Devil's Night in Detroit, Michigan.After a brutal Devil's Night in 1994, then new mayor Dennis Archer promised city residents arson would not be tolerated...
campaign, launched in the late 1990s, draws many volunteers to patrol the streets during Halloween week. The effort reduced arson: while there were 810 fires set in 1984, this was reduced to 742 in 1996. In recent years, fires on this three-night period have dropped even further. In 2009, the Detroit Fire Department reported 119 fires over this period, of which 91 were classified as suspected arsons.
Many of these problems have been blamed on the increased white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
and court-ordered busing
Desegregation busing
Desegregation busing in the United States is the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools in such a manner as to redress prior racial segregation of schools, or to overcome the effects of residential segregation on local school demographics.In 1954, the U.S...
to desegregate its schools during the 1970s which contributed to urban decay
Urban decay
Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
, poverty, increased unemployment, and de facto segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
of the inner city. The city was largely emptied of its remaining white population by 1980. Although "Renaissance" has been the city's phrase for development since the 1970s, many have charged Mayor Coleman Young
Coleman Young
Coleman Alexander Young served as mayor of Detroit in the U.S. state of Michigan from 1974 to 1993. Young became the first African-American mayor of Detroit in the same week that Maynard Jackson became the first African-American mayor of Atlanta.-Pre-Mayoral career:Young was born in Tuscaloosa,...
with a polarizing style that accelerated the white flight
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
. During the administration of Dennis Archer
Dennis Archer
Dennis Wayne Archer is an American lawyer and politician from Michigan. A Democrat, Archer served on the Michigan Supreme Court and as mayor of Detroit...
, who succeeded Young, Detroit saw middle-class residents moving into the city, and growth in residential and commercial development. The city has improved in the early 21st century, making use of increased funding from the state to demolish condemned buildings.
Law and government
Detroit Police Department
The Detroit Police Department , established in 1865, is responsible for the city of Detroit, Michigan.-History:The Detroit Police Department was established in 1865 to serve the city's growing population and covers the city with 5 districts and two precincts. The Detroit Police Department was also...
which was concluded in 2003, following allegations regarding its use of force and civil rights violations. From 2005 to 2006, the city proceeded with a large scale reorganization of the Detroit Police Department, reducing the number of precincts from twelve to six "districts." The stated purpose of this reorganization was to improve services. The reorganization and the city's search for a new police headquarters raised concerns within the Detroit Police Department which included overcrowding issues and increased response times. Michigan and Detroit economic squeezes sustained re-organizational impetus. Then Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings
Ella Bully-Cummings
Ella M. Bully-Cummings became the first female police chief of Detroit, the tenth-largest police force in the United States, when Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick appointed her on November 3, 2003....
(now retired) reassigned sworn officers from desks to squad cars, consolidating and reducing the number of precincts.
In 2007, Detroit had been named the most dangerous city in the country by the Morgan Quitno
Morgan Quitno
Morgan Quitno Press is a research and publishing company based in Lawrence, Kansas, which compiles books with statistics of crime rates, health care, education, and other categories, ranking cities and states in the United States...
report published by CQ Press Press, a private group whose report is denounced by the American Society of Criminology as an "irresponsible misuse" of crime data. The U.S Conference of Mayors and the FBI have cautioned against using the Morgan Quitno - CQ Press report ranking cities as 'safest' or 'most dangerous'.