Dayton had more auto thefts and burglaries per capita than those two cities and Baltimore.
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. told this news outlet that Dayton is taking important steps to fight crime and improve safety.
“Recent reports have placed Dayton among the top 10 to 15 cities in certain violent crimes,” the mayor said. “These rankings reflect complex challenges, including concentrated poverty and social inequities, but they do not capture the full scope of our efforts to make Dayton safer.”
The mayor did not answer questions about whether he is concerned that Trump could send the National Guard to Dayton.
There is no indication that Trump is considering sending troops to Ohio’s cities to try to crack down on crime, though the state of Ohio sent 150 members of its National Guard to Washington D.C. to participate in patrols and guard federal buildings.
Dan Tierney, spokesman for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, said the governor has deployed National Guard troops to Ohio cities at the request of city leaders. This includes to Columbus and Cleveland during protests following the death of George Floyd in 2020.
“In Ohio, mayors know that the state provides resources to surge against crime through the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and that is currently requested much more frequently than the Guard,” Tierney said.
Tierney said Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers currently are helping address crime and public safety in Cincinnati, following some highly publicized incidents of violence that happened earlier this summer.
Trump’s federal response
President Trump on Tuesday called Chicago and Baltimore unsafe “hellholes." He said he has an obligation to protect these cities and he vowed to deploy troops to the Windy City.
“We’re going in,” Trump said. “I didn’t say when, but we’re going in.”
Trump this week claimed that Washington D.C. is now a “safe zone” with basically no crime because troops and federal agents are patrolling the streets. The Associated Press recently reported that Trump has threatened to deploy the National Guard to New York City, Seattle, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, with the stated goal of reducing crime.
Critics and political analysts draw attention to the fact that some of the cities Trump has been targeting don’t actually have the highest crime rates.
All of the cities that appear to be in Trump’s crosshairs are located in states with Democratic governors. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said Trump’s show of force isn’t based on reality or actual crime data.
“None of this is about fighting crime or making Chicago safer,” Gov. Pritzker said. “For Trump, it is about testing his power and producing a political drama to cover up for his corruption.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom singled out Ohio as one of several Republican-controlled states with a higher homicide rate than California that are seemingly off Trump’s radar.
FBI numbers
Last year, Birmingham, Alabama, had the highest homicide rate, followed by St. Louis and Memphis, according to this newspaper’s analysis of FBI data. Baltimore had the fourth most homicides and incidents of nonnegligent manslaughter per capita, while Washington, D.C. ranked 10th and Chicago ranked 24th.
Alabama, Missouri and Tennessee have Republican governors. Illinois and Maryland have Democratic governors.
Dayton last year ranked seventh in the nation for homicides, with about 29.7 incidents per 100,000 people. Cleveland ranked one spot higher (No. 6).
This news outlet analyzed FBI crime data for cities with at least 100,000 residents. Dayton has a population of about 136,345 people, making it the 214th largest city in the United States, according to U.S. Census data.
Dayton is the heart of the Dayton Statistical Metropolitan Area, which consists of three counties and is the 77th largest metro area in the nation.
Last year, the city of Dayton had more rape cases, burglaries, auto vehicle thefts and arsons per capita than Baltimore, Chicago and Washington, D.C. The Gem City ranked seventh in the nation for burglaries, eighth for rape reports, ninth for auto thefts and 13th for all violent crime.
Baltimore ranked fifth in the nation for violent crime, behind Memphis (No. 1); Oakland, California (No. 2); Detroit (No. 3); and Little Rock, Arkansas (No. 4).
D.C. and Chicago are much farther down the list.
Oakland, California, had the most robberies per capita, while Baltimore had the second most and D.C. ranked third. Cleveland had the 4th most robberies. Dayton had more robberies per capita than all but 14 other cities.
DPD, Dayton leaders react
Dayton Mayor Mims, a Democrat, said the city is addressing violent crime through technology, personnel and community programs. He said the city is working to increase police staffing levels and the police department has been utilizing public safety tools like automated license plate readers, security cameras, drones and a Real Time Crime Center to prevent and solve crimes.
The mayor said the city is working to develop a violence interruption program that hopefully will prevent conflict in the community from escalating into bloodshed. He also said he hopes that his peace campaign will be effective.
“Long-term safety comes from community engagement, strong policing and sustainable violence prevention programs,” Mims said.
In a statement, the Dayton Police Department said the safety of community members is the agency’s top priority, and the department uses data-driven strategies, technology and partnerships to reduce violence and protect the community.
“Any crime in our city is taken seriously and we remain committed to protecting our residents, businesses and visitors,” the police department said. “Each statistic represents real people impacted by violence, and we are determined to use every available resource to address these challenges.”
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