Flint is no longer the most violent city in America – barely.
Flint has topped the FBI’s list of cities of 100,000 or more for per capita violent crime for three years.
But FBI statistics for the first six months of 2013 show Oakland, California has passed Flint, though by a very small margin.
Flint Police Chief James Tolbert credits a 26% drop in murders, robberies, and aggravated assault on the public stepping forward to provide much-needed information on crimes in the city.
Tolbert says “no information is too small or insignificant for the police in solving a crime.”
Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley credits city police officers, the Michigan State Police, and reopening the city lockup with the decline.
“While these initial results are good, we will remain focused on utilizing the tactics and resources we know are working and continue to seek other methods and resources that can help us improve the overall service to the community and provide the best level of public safety possible,” Earley said in a written statement.
Flint is still ranked as the second most violent city in America and the most violent in Michigan.
Detroit, Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri round out the top five.
