Paul Bass Photo
Chief Jacobson: "Moving in the right direction."
Downtown cops plan to continue reaching out to work with young people in 2024 following a teen-fueled spike in center-city in 2023.
Top Downtown/Wooster Square cop Lt. Brendan Borer offered that update Thursday as part of a year-end crime report wrap at the weekly CompStat data-sharing session at police headquarters.
While the number of homicides rose, other major crimes either stayed roughly the same or dropped in 2023, the department reported.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Chief Karl Jacobson told the room full of officers and community members. “I say that a lot, but I mean it. We’re moving in the right direction.”
While homicides rose from 16 in 2022 to 23 in 2023, non-fatal shootings dropped 30 percent, from 109 to 76. This is the first time in at least four years where that number has been below 100. Instances of reported aggravated assault declined from 295 to 242 instances in 2023.
The year did see an increase in property crimes. Motor vehicle theft was up 61.7 percent, from 754 instances to 1,219. Burglaries were up 17 percent — 341 to 401 — and thefts of items from vehicles were up 24 percent, from 560 instances to 695.
Jacobson emphasized that even if some crimes may be up from 2022, most are still down from 2020, meaning there has been a general downward trend for the last few years.
While looking to 2024, Jacobson highlighted goals like continuing open enrollment hiring, continuing community and outreach, and continuing to increase diversity in the department, which is currently 52 percent “women and minority.”
Some other statistical year-to-year highlights:
- Felony sexual assault was up 50 percent in 2023, from 22 to 33.
- Drug and Narcotics arrests were down 10 percent, 229 to 205.
Vandalism was up almost 42 percent, from 1,655 to 2,347 instances.
Weapons violations were down 22.6 percent, 234 to 181 instances.
There was a 55 percent increase in motor vehicle stops.
Car accidents were down 31 percent.
There was a 28 percent increase in firearms seized.
The patrol division made more than 300 referrals for Elm City COMPASS, making up 81 percent of calls.
Internal Affairs complaints were down 21 percent, from 78 to 62.
Use of force reports were down 64 percent, from 694 to 248.
75 officers left the force, with 23 being lost to other departments, and 70 were hired.
Click here to read longer-range year-to-year crime stats.
Lt. Borer reported that downtown’s most notable trend for the year was an increase in juvenile disorder. A small percentage of repeat juvenile offenders also played a significant role in the increase in downtown crime, including violation of pedestrian laws, vandalism of stores and vehicles, motor vehicle theft, burglaries, assault, and underage smoking of marijuana.
Borer said officers responded by collaborating with downtown businesses, the Board of Education, school dropout prevention officers, juvenile court, and youth outreach workers like Ronald Huggins. He said that has helped improve the situation, and is looking for more of the same in 2024.