“When you look at gun crime, it’s down double digits, which is pretty good when you compare it to the rest of the country,” said Dayton police Major Brian Johns, commander of investigations and administrative services.
Multiple news agencies have reported that 2021 is on pace to be the worst year for deadly gun violence in the United States in decades.
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Through mid-November, violent crimes involving firearms decreased 25%, according to Dayton Police Department data.
Police recorded 357 incidents, compared to 476 during the same period in 2020.
Violent crimes include murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated robbery and aggravated assault.
Overall, violent crime has dropped 19% — which includes all incidents, not just those in which a gun was used. Dayton police say there have been 22 homicides with guns this year, which is a 27% decline from 2020.
The number of gun crimes with injury also has decreased, falling 31% to 56 incidents.
The Dayton Police Department participated in dozens of operations this year that were part of a gun violence reduction initiative, said interim Dayton police Chief Matt Carper.
Those operations led to the arrest of nearly 200 felony suspects and the recovery of about 120 firearms, he said.
Many of the major crime categories have seen reductions, and Carper says this may be partly attributable to officers receiving additional training on problem-oriented policing methods.
He said police try to identify and disrupt crime patterns, and officers are making more arrests for weapons violations.
“We’ve recovered over 1,000 firearms through the end of the third quarter of this year, which is a 46% increase compared to last year and a 52% increase compared to the year before,” Carper said.
Weapons violations typically include unlawful carrying of a concealed weapon, improper handling a firearm and illegal possession of a firearm while on disability, which often is connected to a felony conviction related to drugs or violence, said Major Johns.
Removing guns from the streets reduces opportunities for shootings and violence, Johns said, and proactive law enforcement activities are paying off.
Earlier this year, Dayton police detectives recovered 19 handguns, 25 long guns and multiple locked gun safes after serving a search warrant at a home on Nassau Street, according to the city manager.
Police responded to the scene after a 911 caller reported that a man violently attacked a woman and went into a home after threatening to get a gun.
Police arrested a 64-year-old suspect who was later convicted of felonious assault, domestic violence and other charges.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Dayton police this year have recovered 984 handguns, 90 rifles and 62 shotguns, Major Johns said.
“I think when you take guns off the street, you reduce crime and the odds of that gun being involved in a crime,” Johns said.
Johns said the police department’s crime analysis unit deserves a lot of credit for helping identify crime patterns and offenders who are responsible for repeat criminal activities.
Analysts also do “hot spot” mapping to figure out where gun crime is occurring, Johns said, and they also pay close attention to how are repeat victims and offenders.
The police department conducted as many as three or four gun violence reduction operations a week this year, which often include detectives, uniformed patrol officers and state and federal authorities, Johns said.
The police department also is working with residents and neighborhood leaders to develop neighborhood safety plans to identify strategies for reducing crime, police officials said.
Data, analysis and proactive enforcement activities are very important, but most crimes are solved by tips and information that community members provide to law enforcement, Johns said.
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
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