Data: Has violent crime dropped in West Michigan?

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Has violent crime decreased across West Michigan?

According to data released Monday by the FBI, violent crime — which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — dropped by about 3% nationwide from 2022 to 2023.

Much of West Michigan seems to mirror the trend, data from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer indicates. But in some jurisdictions, violent crime actually increased from 2022 to 2023. Below, explore violent crime reports across Kent, Ottawa and Kalamazoo counties.

KENT COUNTY

In Grand Rapids, 2,044 violent crimes were reported in 2022, while 1,827 were reported in 2023. That’s a decrease of nearly 11%.

Violent crime reported by the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Police Department also dropped. Meanwhile, in Kentwood, more violent crime was reported in 2023 than in 2022.

OTTAWA COUNTY

The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office reported less violent crime in 2023 than in 2022. So did police departments in Holland, Grand Haven and Zeeland.

KALAMAZOO COUNTY

The city of Kalamazoo reported a sizable drop in violent crime from 2022, with 1,164 violent crimes, to 2023, with 946 violent crimes. That’s a decrease of nearly 19%.

However, not all agencies in the county saw the same trend. The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, for instance, reported 20 more violent crimes in 2023 than in 2022.

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