A new study examining crime rates in 30 of the largest U.S. cities has some good news for Windsor's neighbour, and for local residents who cross the border on a regular basis.
The Brennan Centre for Justice at the New York University School of Law report says for every 100,000 people living in Detroit; there were 5,989.1 crimes reported to police in 2018.
That may sound high, but consider it is down 5.8 per cent from 2017 when 6,354.7 crimes were reported in Detroit for every 100,000 residents. In 1990, there were 12,030.
The drop in violent crime is even more pronounced.
Violent crime is defined as murder, robbery, and aggravated assault.
In Detroit, the murder rate fell by 7.6 per cent from 2017 to 2018. There were 37 murders for every 100,000 residents last year compared to 39.6 in 2017. Almost 20 years ago, it was 56.6.
Overall, the centre says the 2018 murder rate across the U.S. is estimated to fall by nearly six per cent, although some cities are projected to see an increase. Washington D.C. could be up 39.5 per cent, and Houston by 22.6 per cent. The overall crime rate is expected to fall only slightly from last year by 1.8 per cent.
"If estimates hold, some of America's largest cities will see significant drops in violence this year," said Ames Grawert, senior counsel in the Brennan Centre's Justice Program. "The data show that talks of widespread increasing crime are unfounded."
The most significant decreases in overall violent crime are expected in Chicago, down 18.1 per cent, and San Francisco, where rates are anticipated to fall 26.9 per cent. Chicago's drop comes after sharp inclines in the murder rate in 2016 and 2017.
The biggest jump of cities surveyed last year was in Las Vegas where the murder rate shot up 23.5 per cent. That is blamed in large part because of the October Harvest Music Festival mass shooting at Mandalay Bay Casino and Hotel where 58 people died and 851 were injured.
