Violent crime decreased in Detroit last year but the city's top cop on Monday issued a warning about taking a victory lap.
Citywide, Detroit saw an 11% reduction in violent crime in 2022 compared to 2021, according to police data. Robberies were down 7%, rapes down 15% and aggravated assaults declined by 11%, according to preliminary police figures.
Non-fatal shootings were also down 10%, officials said. Homicides were slightly up from 308 in 2021 to 309 last year.
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"We are proud of those reductions but we're certainly not bragging," Police Chief James White said Monday. "We have a huge task in front of us to continue the downward trend we see."
White also said the city has seen an increase in crime committed by underage offenders.
"We're seeing teenagers as young as 14 and 15 engaging in violent crime," he said. "It appears to be driven in large part by beefs and conflicts over social media."
Despite the good news, carjackings increased by 21%, according to police figures. Property offenses like burglaries and stolen vehicles were also up.
White the police department will focus on getting abandoned vehicles off streets, finding unlicensed businesses and identifying dangerous buildings.
In 2021, the city saw a 4% reduction in murders, a 9% drop in non-fatal shootings and an 18% decline in robberies. The city ended the year with 309 murders, compared to 323 in 2020.
