Detroit Schools: Crime Down 37 Percent
DETROIT (WWJ) - A report from the Detroit Public Schools says crime-related activity on school campuses is down 37 percent in the first two weeks of school this year, as compared with the same time frame last year.
The district announced Tuesday that crimes this school year have dropped to 47, down from 75. Those include a 68 percent decrease in breaking and entering incidents at open schools and a 54 percent reduction in assaults.
"That's good to know, really, as a parent because that's my biggest concern ... all the violence in the DPS school system," said parent Rochelle Pearson.
The district credits the drop in crime-related activity to a massive multi-agency school safety partnership between the DPS Police Department, Detroit Police Department, Michigan State Police and citizen patrol groups to keep students safer in and around schools.
The partnership includes broad and in-depth strategies, including enhanced security and improved cameras with a 24-hour command center; crime data analysis and registered sex offender locations shared among agencies; concealed weapons detector walk-through portals; and expanded citizen patrols through a Call to Action for more volunteers to patrol in and around schools.
WWJ's Vickie Thomas Tuesday visited Detroit's Denby High School, where a new state-of-the-art security entrance is in place.
"It's been working effectively, and I appreciate the district for allowing us to have it here in the building," said Principal Kasey Wilbourn. "It's worked wonders for us in terms of keeping the building safer."
Among crimes reported, unarmed robberies are down from two to one, assaults are down from 13 to six, and breaking and entering is down from 22 to 13. Zero armed robberies have been reported this year, compared to four last year. However, larceny/breaking and entering of a vehicle was up this year from seven to 12.
