Jan 7, 2026 - News
Detroit reports 60-year low in homicides
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Detroit reported 165 homicides last year, the city's first with fewer than 200 in 60 years.
Why it matters: Last year's total was a 19% decrease from 2024 (203 homicides) and the third straight year of decline.
What they're saying: "What we're doing in Detroit is working," police chief Todd Bettison said Wednesday, per the Detroit News.
- "(Crime) is going down, down, down. And we will double down in 2026, and continue investing in crime prevention, enforcement, technology — everything."
State of play: Mayor Mary Sheffield tied the drop in violence to the city's holistic approach to public safety.
- In that spirit, Sheffield announced the creation of the Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety to focus on mental health issues, job training and after school programs, per the News.
Zoom out: The U.S. ended last year on pace for the largest one-year drop in murders the nation has ever recorded.
- The decline in killings is part of a broader decrease in violent crime following the COVID-era spike.