Pontiac's downward crime trend bringing hope that city is shedding violent reputation

What's behind Pontiac's drop in violent crime?

The city is seeing various forms of violent crime drop across the board, including armed robberies and homicides.

PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - After being considered one of America's most dangerous cities, Pontiac is now shining in the latest snapshot of its annual crime statistics.

Most individuals agree on what is driving the plunge in crime: it's the community.

Local perspective:

Karen Jorgenson, who owns Pontiac's Little Art Theatre and has called the city home for more than a decade, credits a bevy of reasons for the city's drop in crime.

"Response times are amazing. We have a community where everyone watches out for each other," she said. "I’ve been living down in Pontiac for 15 years now, and I feel safer here than when I was living in Bloomfield Hills."

Police, when asked about the reason driving the trend, offered a similar explanation.

"The community," said Major Andre Ewing with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.

Dig deeper:

The vibes offered by the community are reflected in the numbers, too.

"Crime going down in robberies, in assaults, in CSCs (criminal sexual conduct), in shootings - especially the drive-by shootings," Ewing said. "When we first took over, it was daily. Now it’s just every once in a while."

According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the city reported 48 armed robberies and 15 homicides in 2021. This year, there have only been six armed robberies and one homicide.

"From the standpoint of ‘do I feel safe’ - 24/7 I feel safe," said Jorgenson.

However, the crime statistics for 2025 offer an incomplete picture, since a big portion of annual crime happens in the summer.

Downtown Pontiac

Big picture view:

But even at the start of June, the city hopes the progress follows a changing perception of Pontiac.

"This is a really promising signal and a great trend that we hope we can build off of," said Pontiac City Council President Mike McGuinness.  "Because that means less families are victims, less families and neighborhoods are suffering, and less people have to live in fear."

The Oakland County Sheriff's office took over policing in Pontiac in 2011. Sheriff Michael Bouchard credits targeted strategies for the improvement, including a beefed-up detective bureau.