Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced on May 15 the Flint Police Department has cut its average response time by 40 percent, and the city has reestablished important partnerships with other local police agencies to help fight crime.
While overall crime is down slightly in the city, there have been two more homicides this year over the same time period last year. Through an innovative new approach, the Flint Police Department is taking more non-emergency complaints over the phone, which is freeing up patrol officer time and allowing for dramatically improved response time.
“Every single loss of life in our community is heartbreaking,” Neeley said. “Through the hard work of the Flint police and our renewed cooperative relationships with other police agencies, we are working proactively to do everything in our power to fight crime.”
The city of Flint has a longstanding relationship with the Michigan State Police. Adding to that, Mayor Neeley worked with University of Michigan-Flint Chancellor Debasish Dutta and Mott Community College President Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea to re-establish cooperative relationships with the college police departments to increase community patrols and mutual aid. This is renewing historic partnerships that had discontinued under the previous administration.
“The hardworking men and women of Flint Police Department solve crimes through the help and support of our residents,” Flint Police Chief Phil Hart said.
“We appreciate these partnerships that help strengthen our community,” Hart added.
Crime stats show a decrease in CSCs (14.29 percent), burglary-forced entry (19.03 percent), burglary-without forced entry (31.43 percent) and theft from a building (38.24 percent). Overall property crimes are down 9.07 percent over the same time period last year and total crime is down 2 percent.
As of May 14, 2020, there have been 14 homicides in the city of Flint. That compares to 12 over the same time period last year (nine murder/manslaughter). Driving the increase, in part, is the occurrence of a triple and double homicide this year. In total, there were 43 homicides in 2019.
The city of Flint releases weekly reports on its crime statistics at cityofflint.com/police-department/.
