“We are still way higher than Ohio’s average, so I’m not celebrating anything,” said Dayton police Chief Kamran Afzal, who has been on the job less than seven months.
Overall, crime in the city is down about 1% through the first half of 2022, compared to the same period last year, according to police data. Early 2022 crime rates are more than 2% down when compared to the first six months of 2020.
Part I violent crime — a closely-watched group of serious offenses — has fallen 10% this year. That’s mainly due to a reduction in aggravated assaults (-19%), but robberies also have declined (-8%).
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Dayton, however, has had 20 homicides this year, four more than in the first half of 2021 (+25%), and aggravated robberies also have risen (+6%).
Weekly police reports show aggravated assaults often involve firearms and other weapons. The reports show victims who were choked by a romantic partner, stabbed by their partner’s ex-boyfriend, assaulted with metal crutches by a girlfriend and stabbed after an argument over panhandling.
Aggravated assaults often involve people who know each other, like friends, family, romantic partners and acquaintances, police said, noting that violence between strangers is less common.
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Dayton police study crime data to identify patterns and then develop strategies for disrupting those activities, said Dayton police Lt. Col. Eric Henderson, assistant chief.
A small number of people are responsible for a sizable share of gun violence and violent attacks and assaults in the city, Henderson said, and the police department is heavily focused on tracking these individuals down and getting them into custody.
“We’ve had some targeted operations, like gun-reduction initiatives, where we focused on areas that are hotspots, where we know these crimes are occurring,” he said.
Last year, 40 Dayton officers took part in a gun reduction initiative that led to 191 felony arrests and the recovery of more than 100 firearms.
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
More changes
Some large crime categories that also have seen major declines include drugs and narcotics violations (-32%), weapon law violations (-23%) and breaking and entering (-10%).
Shootings into habitations have plunged 20%, kidnappings and abductions have decreased 8% and vandalism and property destruction offenses dropped 6%.
Henderson said Dayton may continue to see a decrease in weapons offenses because of changes in state law. Ohio no longer requires people who carry hidden firearms to have a concealed carry permit.
Henderson also said crime numbers fluctuate based on citizens’ complaints and self-initiated officer activities.
Some years, crime numbers in some categories go up because of increased police operations and enforcement focused on those specific types of offenses.
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Some crimes are on the rise: There have been more reports of menacing, purse snatching and impersonation.
Simple assaults and simple assaults related to domestic violence have climbed 13% and 11%, respectively.
But police say domestic and intimate partner violence stats are not always straightforward. An increase in cases is not necessarily a bad thing if it means more victims are coming forward to report the crimes.
Domestic violence and sex offenses are dramatically underreported, according to Justice Department and other data.
In Dayton, thefts from buildings have increased 24% compared to last year, and residential burglaries rose 11% , with thieves recently making off with video game consoles, firearms, tools, jewelry, lawn equipment and sports gear stolen.
In a recent incident, a thief broke into a man’s house in the Burkhardt neighborhood and stole $1,200 in cash that the resident had showed off in a Facebook live video the night before, police said.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
The city also has experienced a large jump in thefts of motor vehicle parts and accessories this year (+37%). That is the most incidents in years, maybe longer, and it’s tied to a rash of thefts of catalytic converters.
Burglaries, theft and property-related offenses often are crimes of opportunity, police say, and fortunately community members can take some simple steps to significantly reduce the chances they will be victimized.
More than 430 vehicles have been reported stolen in Dayton this year, and in many cases the victims left their keys in their cars, sometimes in the ignition with the car running.
Personal items and belongings often are stolen from unlocked sheds and garages and other unsecured locations.
Police urge people to lock their doors and they recommend installing good lighting and surveillance cameras, because they are quite effective at deterring many thieves.
Chief Afzal, who was sworn in on Dec. 20, said some of city leadership’s planned investments in community amenities and programs hopefully will help break a cycle of poverty that contributes to crime.
Afzal said he hopes to see significant reductions in crime moving forward.
“Today, yeah, we’re probably not where we need to be, but I think the future is bright, especially with some of the stuff the city commission is doing and the city manager is doing,” he said. “It will absolutely have an impact” on public safety.
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