MUSKEGON Crime rate is on a downward trend!
MUSKEGON ANNUAL CRIMES COMPARISON REPORT
While crimes will never be totally eliminated, police and residents alike are continually striving to reduce the incidence of crime in our neighborhoods. Over the past 25 years, we have come a long way.
Murder Rates
In the past 25 years, our murder rate has experienced a downward trend with the notable exception of a spike in 2011. We do not typically have a high occurrence for this type of crime. In fact, in the past 25 years we have experienced one to five such crimes in any given year. From 1994 to 2014, our average rate for such deaths was 2.52 each year.
In 2014 we had one incident, our lowest number since 2007, and well below the average of 2.52 incidence per year.
Year Murder/Non‐negligent Manslaughter
2014 1
2013 3
2012 1
2011 5
2010 2
2009 2
2008 2
2007 0
2006 1
2005 3
2004 1
2003 1
2002 2
2001 1
2000 2
1999 3
1998 3
1997 3
1996 5
1995 3
1994 5
1993 3
1992 4
1991 3
1990 4
25 YEAR MURDER RATE
MUSKEGON ANNUAL CRIMES COMPARISON REPORT
Part 1 Crimes (Murder/Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Manslaughter by Negligence, Kidnapping, Sexual Assaults, Robbery, Aggravated Felonious Assault, Burglary, Larceny, Auto-Theft & Arson)
Part 1 Crimes are on a downward trend. In 2014, we experienced the lowest count in part 1 crime in 25 years. In fact, our numbers are less than half of what was reported in 1990. In 2014, our number have dropped significantly to 2,081.
Clearance Rates (solve rate for all reported crimes)
Clearance rates (CR) have a direct link to crime reduction and our goal is to increase our clearance rates. The Muskegon Police Department has been diligent to align our reporting efforts to address artificially low clearance rates; this realignment saw a marked increase in clearance rates in the last quarter of 2014. Based on Michigan Incident Crime Reporting (MICR) reportable offenses, Muskegon had an average clearance rate of 22.9% prior to September of 2014. That percentage nearly doubled to 40.3 % from September through December of this past year. This is in comparison to a clearance rate of just under 8% at the end of 2011.
MUSKEGON ANNUAL CRIMES COMPARISON REPORT
Again, while crime will never be totally eliminated, the decrease in the incidences of crime, combined with the increased clearance rates has achieved a positive downward trend in criminal activity. While no one can point to any singular reason for this trend, we do believe that hard work on the part of the Muskegon police officers as well as the cooperative partnerships with residents has played a major role. We look forward to continuing our successful policing strategies coupled with community partnerships in addressing our crime issues; and we look forward to providing a safe environment to all our citizens within the city of Muskegon.
Jeffrey A. Lewis
Director of Public Safety