Chicago has been getting tons of press for its massive homicide rate, which climbed to 500 at the end of last week, but Detroit has honed in on a similarly dreadful landmark.
Mayor Dave Bing released the city’s homicide stats for 2012 and out of 461 death investigations, 411 were homicides.
Despite the overall crime rate dipping, this year’s homicide figures surpass those of 2011 by more than 30 deaths. “The release of annual crime statistics reminds us of the senselessness of crime and violence in our community. The challenges facing our police force; and the need to improve the conflict resolution and other anti-crime initiatives,” Mayor Bing said.
Officials are still searching for an answer to the heightened homicides, 25 of which were considered to be justifiable.
Meanwhile victims’ families are still grieving the loss of loved ones. “I feel like a part of me died and I will never get it back,” said Melissa Villneff. Her father, John, was gunned down last August while trying to protect his nieces. “We can never hug him again.”
Aside from crime troubles, Detroit is still experiencing economic hardship. In October of last year the unemployment rate for the Motor City rose to 10.8 percent, 1. 7 percentage points higher than the state of Michigan, and nearly 3 percent more than the national rate.
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Photo: New York Daily News
