Detroit's Fewest Property Crimes in Over a Year
Detroit's Fewest Property Crimes in Over a Year
For most of the past three months, Detroit was logging somewhere between 160 and 260 property crime incidents every five days. Then the week of March 30th happened β and the number fell off a cliff. Burglaries dropped to 50 incidents, down from a 12-week average of nearly 84. Motor vehicle theft hit just 6 incidents in a single week, against a recent daily average of nearly 18.
The drop is broad enough to be real, not a data artifact. Larceny fell 34% below its 12-week average. District 6 alone saw property crime cut in half β 24 incidents versus a typical 52. Year-to-date, Detroit is running 20% below 2025's pace, and the most recent month-over-month comparison shows a 42% decline versus the same week last April.
β42% property crime vs. same period last year
264 incidents Apr 1β7, 2026 vs. 455 incidents Apr 1β7, 2025
Motor vehicle theft β which had been running at 17β23 incidents per day through late March β dropped to just 6 on April 6th, a 66% single-week plunge that the anomaly system flagged as statistically extraordinary. Whether that's a genuine enforcement win or a reporting lag worth watching, the direction is unmistakably right. Trend data
District 2's Violent Crime Just Tripled
Here's the paradox: citywide violent crime is down 6.6% year-to-date and down 50% in the first days of April versus last year. But zoom into District 2 and the picture flips entirely. The week of April 5β6 logged 6 violent incidents β nearly triple the district's 12-week average of 2.1.
+188% violent crime spike in District 2
6 incidents week of Apr 5β6 vs. 12-week average of 2.1 β flagged as statistically anomalous
Aggravated assault is driving it β District 2 saw 5 felonious assault incidents in that same week, against a baseline of under 2. Bethune Community (District 7) also flagged a 220% spike in violent incidents. The citywide trend is genuinely improving; these two neighborhoods are not moving with it yet. Anomaly detail
Detroit's Building Pipeline Is Down 42% From Last April
Sixty-three building permit plan reviews were submitted in the first nine days of April β compared to 108 during the same window last year. That's a 41.7% drop, and it's not a blip: year-to-date submissions are running 22% below 2025's pace (478 vs. 614 through March).
478 plan reviews YTD vs. 614 in 2025
β22.1% year-to-date; β41.7% vs. same days last April
Plan reviews are a leading indicator β they represent projects entering the permitting pipeline before a shovel hits the ground. A 22% YTD decline means fewer projects are starting the process, which will show up as fewer construction starts later in the year. Downtown and Midtown continue to generate activity, but the volume citywide is meaningfully softer than a year ago. Trend data
Drug Crime: Down 78% for the Year, Up 100% This Month
Drug crime incidents are down a staggering 78.4% year-over-year β 221 incidents so far in 2026 versus 1,022 at the same point in 2025. That's a genuine, sustained decline. But the first three days of April logged 14 incidents against just 7 in the same three days of March β a 100% month-over-month jump that's worth watching, especially with District 5 flagging a 200% weekly spike in dangerous drug offenses.
Three days of data don't make a trend. But after a year of consistent improvement, any reversal in the early-month numbers is worth a second look next week.
Property Crime β 42.0% vs. prior year
Violent Crime (FBI Type I) β 6.6% YTD
Drug Crime β 78.4% YTD
Building Permit Plan Reviews β 22.1% YTD
911 Calls (Police Serviced) β 23.1% vs. prior month
That's the week. See you next Tuesday.
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