DPD Chief James White meeting with Biden to discuss crime reduction in Detroit
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit Police Chief James White is headed to the White House to meet with President Joe Biden on Wednesday, joining five other chiefs from across the country to discuss reduced crime rates in their cities.
"It is a proud day when I can represent these men and women who are really are out there doing the work every day," White said. "We won’t be declaring victory by any means. we still have a lot of work to do, but we’ll be talking about some of the success we’ve had in our crime stats of last year."
In 2023, Detroit saw its lowest number of homicides since 1966. There were also double-digit decreases in other major crimes.
Officials tout Detroit's falling homicide rate, sees results on community front and hiring more officers
It wasn't just a falling homicide rate that officials touted in Detroit's review of crime. More money, more staff, better collaboration, and better preparation for events has also aided the city.
White said he credits not just his officers, but DPD's community collaborations and public and private partnerships for the decrease in crime.
"We've just got so many partners at the table that's helping us to get where we are," he said.
White will also be discussing his plans for 2024 with the president, he said — including how the department will be addressing mental health and juvenile crimes, and new community policing initiatives.
"We’re going to be uber focused on even driving crime down more this year than we did last year," White said.