DETROIT — Detroit city leaders on Monday highlighted what they called a safer summer, citing significant reductions in violent and property crime compared with the same period last year, including a sharp decline in the number of children killed by violence.
During an afternoon press conference, city officials said violent and property crime both decreased compared with this time last year. Among the most notable trends was an 89% drop in juvenile homicides during the summer months.
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Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said the city entered the year after reaching historic homicide lows in 2025, but officials remained focused on addressing violence affecting young people.
"Even though we closed the year out in 2025 with historic homicide lows, we had far too many of our young people who had a violent summer," Bettison said.
The chief reflected on several high-profile cases from last summer, when nine young people were killed in Detroit.
"We saw little Samir at a park, shot at a park. Gang violence, individuals couldn't solve their beefs," Bettison said. "Little Rylee Love was in his home watching television, shot and killed with a stray bullet from a conflict with adults down the street."
According to city officials, juvenile homicides fell from nine victims last summer to one this year between June and August. Nonfatal shooting victims also declined by 22%.
Mayor Mary Sheffield said the improvements represent more than statistics.
"These are more than numbers. These are actual lives of our residents, young people who were able to make it home, neighborhoods that felt a safer summer," Sheffield said.
The mayor credited the city's Occupy the Summer initiative as one factor behind the decline. The program provided 10 weeks of activities for young people during the summer and drew participation from more than 15,000 youth.
"It is our way of saying we cannot police our way out of crime, but we invest in and support and provide opportunity for our young people," Sheffield said.
City leaders also pointed to community violence intervention groups, which they said help reduce conflicts before they escalate into crimes.
Teferi Brent, chief of the mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, said those organizations focus on prevention efforts before violence occurs.
"Before a disagreement becomes a shooting, before a young person becomes involved in violence, and before a neighborhood crisis becomes a police call," Brent said.
While officials celebrated the decline in violence, Sheffield emphasized that more work remains.
"We know that one life lost is far too many," she said.
The mayor said she plans to build on the success of Occupy the Summer and continue expanding the initiative in future years.
"We know at bare minimum we will have at least what we had this year and continue to find ways to expand this project year-round as well," Sheffield said.
