COLUMBUS – Columbus was one of only four major cities in the U.S. that saw a decrease in violent crime in the first nine months of 2015, compared with the same period the year before, according to a report from a national organization of police chiefs.
While the homicide rate remained flat, the rates of rape, robbery, aggravated assault and non-fatal shootings saw declines from 2014, according to the Major Cities Chiefs Association’s Violent Crime Survey.
There also drops in the cases of officers using force, including tasers and firearms in 2014, and citizen complaints reached a 10-year low.
“I’m very proud of these trends, said Mayor Michael Coleman. “Violent crime reduction and our decrease in use of force and citizen complaints is a direct result of many of our initiatives to curb violent crime and as well as the community partnerships and engagements we have formed.”
The use of force by police officers in Columbus showed reductions from 2013 to 2014 as well. According to the survey. There were only 9 cases of a Columbus police officer using a firearm in 2014, compared with 22 in 2013.
There were 314 citizen complaints logged in 2014, compared with 726 in 2005.
The other cities to report a decline in violent crime were Miami, San Antonio and Mesa, Ariz.