Homicides were down in 2022, and the Fort Wayne Police Department solved a lot of the ones they had.
According to Fort Wayne City and Police officials, there were 23 homicides in 2022 within the city limits, a 45 percent decrease from 2021.
Eighty-three percent of them were solved. More than 1,000 firearms were also taken off the street.
Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry, Police Chief Steve Reed, and Fire Chief Eric Lahey released the information Tuesday as part of a lookback on 2022 in the city’s public safety.
The city also reported a decline in violent crime for the second straight year.
City police responded to more than 140,000 calls for service in 2022. A new class of recruits will bring the city’s department to 500 officers.
The Fort Wayne Fire Department responded to more than 29,000 calls for service, a 6-percent increase in volume, according to the release.
An additional 20 new firefighters were added to the roster in 2022.
The city used American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase $2 million in new breathing apparatus for the fire department, according to the release.
