The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Preliminary Crime Statistics Report, released today, shows Sterling Heights remains the safest community in the state of Michigan with populations over 100,000
Compared to the seven cities in Michigan with populations over 100,000—including Ann Arbor, Warren, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Lansing and Clinton Township—Sterling Heights scores safest in seven out of 10 categories.
According to the 2016 report, the City of Sterling Heights recorded lower crime rates in seven of the 10 recorded crime categories that the FBI tracks, compared to 2015. When compared to 2015 numbers in Sterling Heights: Property Crimes decreased by 14.8%; Burglary decreased by 11.5%; Larceny-Theft decreased by 14.6%; Motor Vehicle Theft decreased by 20.6%; Arson decreased by 40%; Rape decreased by 17.9%; and Murder/Non-negligent Manslaughter decreased by 80% (five in 2015 and one in 2016).
“Sterling Heights is already one of the safest large cities in the United States, and the 2016 FBI crime statistics show a continued trend in making Sterling Heights even safer,” Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski said. “The men and women of the Sterling Heights Police Department work relentlessly to keep crime in the city low, but it is really a collaborative effort with residents, business owners and city officials working together to keep Sterling Heights a fantastic place to live, work and play.”
Sterling Heights was also recently featured as one of the top 100 safest cities on a national list released in August. The study, from Alarms.org, used statistics including number of violent crimes per 100,000 residents and number of property crimes per 100,000 residents. Sterling Heights was listed as 84 out of 100 safest city nationwide.
“I’m incredibly proud of the Sterling Heights Police Department for their hard work and continued effort to reduce crime in Sterling Heights,” said Mayor Michael C. Taylor. “What’s most impressive is, as our population continues to grow, we’re improving by reducing crime. I know the men and women of SHPD are out there every day working hard to keep our residents safe, and for that we’re grateful.”
Mayor Taylor also mentioned the Sterling Heights Fire Department’s status as the best in the state. SHFD has a “Class 2” ISO rating, or Insurance Services Office rating. This classification places Sterling Heights in the top 2% of all fire departments throughout the United States and top 1% in the State of Michigan. Only two other fire department sin the State of Michigan have attained this rating distinction: Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
“When it comes to public safety, Sterling Heights has absolutely the best in the state of Michigan,” Taylor said. “These recently released rankings and statistics show just that.”
Attached is a sheet with locally relevant data compiled using the FBI Crime Statistics Report. For more information about the report or data, contact the city’s Community Relations Department at (586) 446-2470.