Some not so good news for our fair city this morning, and a reminder that although there is progress in some areas there is also a lot of work that needs to be done.
According to a recent ranking by lawstreemedia.com, for the third year in a row Detroit is number one among the most dangerous cities in the U.S. with a population of more than 200,000.
Law Street’s Crime Team uses the FBI’s four major violent crime categories–murders, aggravated assaults, robberies, and forcible rapes–to create a standard measure of violent-crimes-per-100,000 people.
Despite the grim results, there was a silver lining as the city saw a 4% drop in violent crime, including rapes, murders, and robberies. The city had a total of 18 fewer murders than the previous year, bringing that number to its lowest point in 47 years.
There was, however, a 4.5% increase in aggravated assaults.
A few key numbers mentioned in the report were:
- Violent Crime Rate: 1,989/100,000 people
- Murder Rate: 44/100,000 people
- Officer to Population Ration 1:295
The article serves as a reminder that while we have seen significant surface level improvements in certain areas of the city, there is still a long way to go in improving one of the most vital characteristics of any city – public safety.
The top five cities including Detroit are Memphis, Tennessee; Oakland, California; St. Louis, Missouri; and Birmingham, Alabama. You can find out the rest of the list here.
