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Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry has passed away after a brief battle with cancer.

Fort Wayne Police Tout Significant Crime Decreases In First Quarter Of 2019

FILE

The Fort Wayne Police Department is reporting a substantial decrease in various crimes throughout the city in the first quarter of 2019.

Five crime statistics have seen varying degrees of decline when compared to the first quarter of last year. Homicides are down 56% from this time last year, and the city has seen a 29% decrease in shootings. Violent crime is down 13%, while drug overdoses and property crimes went down 7% and 5%, respectively.

One number that went up is the number of arrests for the possession of a handgun without a license, which went up a staggering 65% from 2018.

Police chief Steve Reed says the positive changes are tied to the department’s two-fold approach focused on outreach and enforcement.

“Our community relations section, Fort Wayne UNITED programs, it’s all coming together, as well as increased enforcement,” Reed says. “We’re focusing on the individuals we know that are responsible for the violent crime, and it’s a very small percentage of our population that’s responsible for this.”

Nonetheless, Reed noted the decline in applications from aspiring officers over the last five years. He reiterated the department’s goal to train and hire more new officers while continuing to expand its adoption and use of technology in the field.

Zach joined 89.1 WBOI as a reporter and local host for All Things Considered, and hosted Morning Edition for the past few years. In 2022, he was promoted to Content Director.