Detroit’s falling crime rate is part of a national trend tracked across 40 U.S. cities.

The Council on Criminal Justice recorded a 21% drop in homicides in the cities it studied, while Detroit’s homicide total declined 19% from 2024-25. The national survey found large cities experienced fewer crimes in 11 of 13 categories, except drug crimes and sexual assaults. Detroit reported 14% fewer sexual assaults, but it does not include drug offenses in its data releases.

What’s making cities safer? It’s not entirely clear, as the report didn’t aim to examine the success or failure of policy decisions. But the data predicts the national homicide rate reported by the FBI later this year could be the lowest in a century.

Violent crime overall in 2025 was at or below levels in 2019, reversing a national trend that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a historic 31% increase in homicides in 2020, the largest single-year jump since 1900.

Detroit’s homicide rate dropped 31% since 2019, putting it just below the rate for cities with at least 100,000 residents (36%). Baltimore experienced the largest drop (60%).

Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison has put particular focus on the drop in carjackings, saying the high rate used to give the city a bad reputation. Carjackings dropped 46% from 2024-25, slightly above the national average found by CCJ (43%).

Researchers found several possible reasons why cities are becoming safer, including changes in criminal justice policies, like the adoption of community violence intervention programs, or social shifts like a decline in substance use and crimes committed to obtain money.

Sheffield framed the decline as part of a holistic public safety strategy. She said her new administration will focus on crime prevention and plans to open an office of Neighborhood and Community Safety.

Detroit was the only Michigan city included in the CCJ report. Data was collected directly from city police departments from 2018 to 2025 and released last week.

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Poor attendance delays interviews for top jobs

The City Council canceled a special session on Friday that was intended to interview appointees for top positions in Mayor Mary Sheffield’s administration.

Seven appointees appeared before three members of the council for brief interviews in a committee session on Jan. 14. Another set of interviews was planned before the full body, but only four members showed up.

City Council rules require a majority of the nine members to be present, also known as a quorum. Council Members Mary Waters, Angela Whitfield-Calloway, Scott Benson, Gabriela Santiago-Romero and Denzel McCampbell were absent.

Council President James Tate apologized for the aborted meeting, saying he had received a head count to ensure five members would be present. Tate said Whitfield-Calloway indicated she was running late at the start of the meeting, but received a memo a few minutes later stating she would be absent. 

“I want to thank each and every one of you who showed up,” Tate said. “It is extremely cold, it is extremely challenging to be here and things happen. This was certainly not a waste of time. It’s always important for us to make sure that we are executing the process that we have laid out.”

Tate had sought a special session to provide a forum for all council members to interview candidates for police chief, fire commissioner, Housing and Revitalization Department director, corporation counsel, chief financial officer, Planning Department director and human resources director.

Miller said she independently spent roughly an hour meeting with each of the candidates.

Legislative Policy Director David Whitaker said the high-level nature of the positions means interviews should be in public and with the full council. Whitaker said public interviews provide accountability for both council members, the mayor and appointees, allowing residents to be confident that the right people are holding the job.

“You might be satisfied with the questions you received, sufficient to vote up or down on the candidacy, but you’re doing it in public to allow the public to hear the questions you asked and the answers you receive in response,” Whitaker said.

Council Member Latisha Johnson said public comments provide valuable insight and it’s important to hear from residents. Tate agreed, saying it’s critical to have questions asked publicly.

“We can easily just sign a piece of paper and say they’re confirmed but that wouldn’t be proper, based on the heavy positions that are before us,” Tate said. 

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Gayanga suspension in limbo amid police investigation

The City Council may avoid authorizing new business with demolition contractor Gayanga Co. long after its temporary suspension ends.

Inspector General Kamau Marable informed the City Council during a Jan. 21 hearing that a separate criminal investigation must play out before the debarment investigation can be considered finished. Marable said there will likely be “some period of time” where the suspension is lifted but the OIG investigation is incomplete.

The suspension was extended twice and will expire on Feb. 9. Marable said a third and final extension would end March 11. It’s up to the Sheffield administration and the City Council to approve contracts with Gayanga after the suspension is lifted, Marable said.

Whitfield-Calloway said the city should avoid doing business with Gayanga until investigations are complete.

Gayanga and its owner Brian McKinney were suspended from doing business with Detroit last September, and former Mayor Mike Duggan asked the Detroit Police Department to open a criminal investigation the same month.

Marable said he couldn’t divulge any details about the OIG investigation.

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DDOT bus schedule changes take effect Monday

Several bus routes will receive minor scheduling changes that take effect on Monday.

The Detroit Department of Transportation implemented quarterly service changes that affect midday schedules of nine routes. DDOT Director Robert Cramer said the intent is to improve service in the afternoon and evening hours when on-time performance declines.

A routing change to 16-Dexter, also to take effect Monday. The route will adjust from going around the west side of the University of Detroit Mercy campus to the east side.

Customers should visit the website or use the DDOT App to check the schedules, or use the free upgraded Transit App for up-to-date schedules and real-time bus tracking, next bus arrival predictions, and dynamic trip planning.

Riders can call Customer Service at 313-933-1300 or share feedback at a future Community Input Meeting, held virtually the third Thursday of the month at 5 p.m.