Violent crime in Detroit continues to fall at a historic pace, with the city reporting double-digit declines across every major violent crime category through the third quarter of 2025.
Homicides, nonfatal shootings, and carjackings are each down between 15 and 30 percent compared to the same time last year, marking the sharpest drop since 1965.
Through September 30, Detroit recorded 132 homicides, compared to 155 at this point in 2024. Last year closed with 203 total, the fewest in six decades. Nonfatal shootings and carjackings also fell significantly, and the clearance rate for nonfatal shooting cases has now climbed above 70 percent, a result of stronger coordination between police and prosecutors.
“Having prosecutors embedded in precincts helps them become much more familiar with the patterns and the individuals involved in criminal activity,” said Police Chief Todd Bettison. “It also helps make sure that our officers are developing cases that will withstand prosecutorial review.”
Mayor Mike Duggan said the numbers reflect a turning point for the city.
“We still have three months left in this year; however, the partnerships and strategies we’ve implemented are only becoming more effective,” he said. “I am confident that by the end of this year, we will have another historic reduction.”
The city’s crime decline is being powered by both enforcement and prevention. Detroit’s growing network of Community Violence Intervention groups led by neighborhood organizations like FORCE Detroit, Detroit 300, New Era Detroit, and Detroit Friends & Family continues to prove the value of community-based safety models. These groups employ credible messengers who mediate conflicts, connect families to jobs and mental health support, and respond directly after shootings to prevent retaliation.
This summer, the city expanded its CVI footprint, adding two new organizations, Live In Peace and Team Pursuit, on Detroit’s northeast side. Ceasefire Detroit also began operating a targeted 4.5-mile corridor on the northwest side bounded by Puritan, Telegraph, Schoolcraft, and the Southfield Freeway. City data shows CVI zones continue to experience sharper reductions in homicides and shootings compared to areas without the programs.
Last week, those efforts reached a new milestone. The Michigan Legislature approved the state’s 2025–26 budget, establishing the Public Safety Trust Fund, marking the first time in history that Michigan has allocated direct, long-term funding for Community Violence Intervention programs.
The fund will provide $3.25 million per year for three years to support statewide CVI and public safety programs, $10 million in one-time K-12 grants for school-based prevention partnerships, and $2.3 million for competitive grants through the Department of Health and Human Services. An additional $72 million will go to local governments for violence prevention, case clearance, and public safety improvements.
“This is a historic win for Detroit and for communities across Michigan,” said Dujuan “Zoe” Kennedy, executive director of FORCE Detroit. “For the first time, Michigan is putting meaningful resources behind efforts that save lives, reduce youth and community violence, and support healing in neighborhoods that have suffered far too long. Detroit has already seen homicides decline to the lowest since the 1960s, and this investment ensures our momentum continues. Still, every life lost to violence is a broken heart, broken family, and broken community. We do our work in honor of every single life that’s been lost, that’s our promise.”
State Senator Sarah Anthony, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the funding “a clear commitment to community-based solutions that protect our young people.” She added, “When it comes to stopping violence, the data is clear. Prevention is key. We’ve endured too much tragedy in Michigan, and this public health crisis continues to tear our communities apart. It’s time for us to take a stand together, and that’s exactly what organizations like FORCE Detroit are doing every day.”
FORCE Detroit plans to expand its trauma recovery work, mentorship programs, and advocacy initiatives as a result of the new funding. Kennedy said the city’s collaborative approach, linking law enforcement, policymakers, and grassroots leaders has become a model. “You don’t see this everywhere. You don’t see community and law enforcement on the same side,” he said. “We’ve changed policy in schools so individuals with lived experience can go in and reach kids. We’ve changed state policy to fund community-based intervention in schools. We’ve proven that when elected officials and community leaders trust each other, lives are saved.”
The broader coalition of partners driving Detroit’s public safety progress includes Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, Prosecutor Kym Worthy, Sheriff Raphael Washington, and U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon, whose office has embedded federal prosecutors in seven DPD precincts to coordinate gang and gun cases. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office also increased salaries by 15 percent to remain competitive, while the Sheriff’s Department boosted starting deputy pay by 24 percent to fill 200 vacancies.
“We’re proud to be doing even better than last year’s achievement. That doesn’t happen by accident,” Evans said. “It’s the result of strong partnerships between Wayne County, the City of Detroit, law enforcement, community leaders, religious leaders, and others who refuse to give up on their neighborhoods. Collaboration is the engine of this progress, and when we work together, we make our communities safer, stronger, and more hopeful for the future.”
Detroit’s courts have been part of the turnaround as well. The Wayne County Third Circuit Court reduced its backlog of felony gun cases by 3,000, and the 36th District Court cleared nearly 1,700. “Detroit’s progress in reducing crime shows what’s possible when the court and our justice partners work together with purpose,” said Chief Judge William McConico. “We’re not just improving outcomes today, we’re building a safer, stronger city for the future.”
The Detroit Police Department’s partnership with the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network continues to set an example for policing with empathy. Together, they’ve trained officers and mental health professionals in crisis response to de-escalate situations involving residents in emotional distress. Michigan State Police Director Col. James F. Grady II said the collaboration is changing outcomes for Detroiters. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and on the roadways they travel,” Grady said. “The Michigan State Police is committed to working alongside our colleagues at the Detroit Police Department and our partners at the federal level to continue to reduce crime and improve public safety outcomes.”
Even with progress, perception remains a challenge. Many Detroiters still feel unsafe, a disconnect that community leaders like Kennedy say must be addressed by reshaping the narrative. “We have to thank our media and our city for highlighting the things we do,” he said. “Of course, there’s going to be more attention on harm because it hits harder. But we combat that by owning our narrative, telling our stories, showing what’s working, and making sure that when lives are saved, people hear about it. We want Detroiters to know the work is happening, and it’s working.”
From coordinated enforcement to grassroots prevention, Detroit’s model is proving that safety can be achieved through shared accountability and trust. With historic state funding now secured for CVI and data showing record declines in violent crime, leaders say the city’s long fight for safer neighborhoods is entering a new era. As Mayor Duggan said, “The goal isn’t just fewer crimes, it’s more hope.”
