Report: Flint on Track to Have Lowest Homicide Total in 10 Years

The City of Flint is on track to have its lowest homicide total in ten years according to a new report.

MLive says Flint Police Chief James Tolbert has said the department has investigated 29 confirmed criminal homicides in 2014, down 42 percent from 2013. Of the 29 homicides, the investigations of 16 have ended in the arrest and arraignment of at least one suspect and the probes of two of the homicides ended because the suspects had died. The drop is a significant decrease from just two years ago when there were 67 homicides.

Tolbert attributes the drop this year with the community not resorting to violence as much and because the probability of being caught has gone up. He added the collaboration with the Michigan State Police and increased patrols within the city have helped also. Tolbert also spoke of the department turning to social media as another avenue to reach out to the community for information regarding investigations.

In speaking about the drop in homicide, Flint Maor Dayne Walling said efforts from the U.S. Attorney's Office and Genesee County Prosecutor's Office in giving longer sentences to people brandishing deadly firearms is a major reason the homicide rate has fallen so dramatically. "Homicide is deterred when an individual with a felony record is arrested or apprehended and put behind bars for many, many years," said Walling.