DEARBORN, Mich. – Dearborn saw a significant decrease in major crime in 2024, city officials announced.
Abdullah H. Hammoud, the city’s mayor, along with the police chief, Issa Shahin, and the city council president, Michael Sareini, discussed the year-end statistics and shared what strategies were implemented to prevent crime and make arrests.
Crime stats
The city reported a seven percent drop in major crime over the year before, and saw the following reductions:
- 35% drop in home invasions
- 30% drop in burglaries
- 25% drop in robberies
- 22% drop in vehicle thefts
Hammoud said that if petty retail theft wasn’t factored into that number, it would be at 11%.
They credited the reductions to an increased police presence throughout the city, the use of technology including drones and license plate readers and strong relationships with the community.
Using drone technology, license plate readers
Shahin said these statistics are a testament to the focused strategy they have for using new technologies.
The department currently has 13 certified remote operators for drones, and the police chief said that the infrared cameras are especially beneficial because they allow officers to have increased visibility in investigating certain crimes and are helpful in search and rescue missions.
The license plate readers have provided the department with critical leads in investigating all types of crimes, from “reckless driving to homicide.”
Fully staffed for 1st time in decades
But the department’s biggest accomplishment, according to Shahin, is being fully staffed.
This is the first time in nearly two decades that the department is fully staffed.
They will have a total of 188 officers once the latest recruits graduate, according to Hammoud. The city is also committed to bringing that total into the 190s over the next year with the support of the city council.
New real-time crime center expected this year
The plan for a real-time crime center was also announced as they discussed the decrease in crime.
Shahin said the center will integrate video footage from public and private cameras in a centralized hub so officers can see situations as they are happening and respond more efficiently.
Businesses and residents will be able to opt in to share footage from their surveillance cameras, to help improve response times and safety in neighborhoods.
They are hoping to launch the crime center within the next several months.
Fostering strong community relationships
Dearborn City Council President Michael Sareini said that the statistics show how the city comes together to see results.
He discussed how the council is in constant communication with the police department and said, “As a lifelong resident I understand our residents’ expectations, that safety and security is what they value most. When I was elected as council president, I instituted the first of its kind council-police ridealong so that our council members could get an idea of what our officers need on a daily basis.”
The city leaders also discussed how the safety of the residents is a top priority, and discussed how they handle information about a resident’s immigration status.
Shahin said that victims and witnesses who contact the police department should know they will not check their immigration status. It isn’t a policy or practice of the department to involve themselves with anyone’s immigration status, according to the police chief.
All three of the city leaders said they are committed to continuously improving the efficiency of the department, and Hammoud said he has his eye on being the safest big city in the state.
“You know, Dearborn was recently recognized as the second safest big city in the state of Michigan last year, and I want Sterling Heights to know we’re coming for that number one spot.”
