In 2013, among the nation’s larger cities, Detroit, MI had the highest homicide rate, according to FBI crime statistics released Monday.
The Motor City saw 316 homicides last year, which, with a population of about 700, 000, gave the city about 45 homicides per 100,000 residents.
However, the Detroit Police Department actually reported 333 criminal homicides in 2013, additionally, U.S. Census Bureau data recognized the city’s population at roughly 688,000,
Therefore, Motown’s homicide rate in 2013 may ostensibly be slightly higher at 48 homicides per 100,000 residents.
Detroit was followed by New Orleans, LA, Newark, NJ, and St. Louis, MO for most homicides per 100,000 residents.
Baltimore, MD, rounded out the top five with about 37 homicide rates per 100,000 residents.
New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago – the nation’s largest cities – saw much lower homicide rates per 100,000 residents, reflected the statistics.
With a population north of 8 million, the Big Apple had 4 homicides per 100,000 residents. Los Angeles, population of about 4 million, reported 7 homicides, and Chicago’s population of 2.7 million had a rate of roughly 15 homicides per 100,000 citizens.
In addition to the top homicide rate in 2013, Detroit had the highest rate of violent crime among larger cities. Oakland, CA and Memphis, TN followed Motown in that division.
Despite the negative statistics, last week a judge approved Detroit’s bankruptcy exit plan, giving the city a potential path out of the red. Likewise, gentrification efforts are ubiquitous around the decayed city with more businesses, people, and job opportunities moving into the city proper.
The Detroit Police Department has reported 261 homicides so far in 2014, which is slightly lower from the 290 in the same frame last year.
A full range of crime rates for cities across the country can be found through www.fbi.gov.
