GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Just days away from ringing in 2025, the Grand Rapids Police Department is looking back on a year that has seen a significant decrease in crime.
Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom told News 8 that the city’s crime rate has been trending downward since 2020, with the lowest being this year.
“The message is getting sent: Grand Rapids is not a place where you want to commit a crime,” he said. “The city has made tremendous progress in 2024 when it comes to crime. Burglaries are at a low since well before the pandemic, other things which impact day-to-day life. Auto thefts are half of what they were in 2022, and they are lower than they were pre-pandemic.”
In 2024, as of Friday, the police department has recorded a total of 13 homicides that took place in the city. That’s down significantly from the 22 recorded in 2023.
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“Holding people accountable has been a big part of the progress,” Winstrom said. “However, there are so many other people working in this space outside of the police department that have really made such a positive impact.”