The homicide victims included a 12-year-old girl who was killed while asleep in her bed, a mom who was fatally shot in the backseat of her car next to her young daughter and two people who died after being wounded during a drive-by shooting.
Dayton police Chief Kamran Afzal said his department takes violent crime very seriously because “each statistic represents real people affected in our community.”
“While it’s too early to determine if this is a long-term trend or a short-term fluctuation, we are actively monitoring and analyzing data to better understand the situation and adjust strategies accordingly,” Afzal said. “Any increase in firearm-related crime is always a concern because of the potential for serious injury or loss life.”
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. said community members — and young people especially — need conflict resolution skills to help prevent arguments and disagreements from escalating into violence.
The mayor said the city is working to develop a new violence interruption program that hopefully will improve public safety partly by changing attitudes and behaviors about using violence to respond to conflict.
Overall, the total number of recorded crimes declined in Dayton last year, and some notable violent crime and property crime categories saw sizable reductions.
More violence
In June, seven people were wounded during a drive-by shooting that police say took place during a party outside of an unoccupied home on the 1500 block of Home Avenue in West Dayton.
Donna Zile, 22, died at the scene, and 18-year-old Jhakavion Casey died from his injuries about a week later. The other shooting victims were between the ages of 17 and 20.
In August, 12-year-old Isabella A’More Carlos died after being shot while she was asleep in her bed in her family home in northwest Dayton.
Police say two men fired dozens of bullets from an AK-47 and an AR-15 at Isbella’s home and two other houses because of a feud over a social media post. Police say the social media post had no connection to Isabella’s family.
In September, 26-year-old Jermea Lyle died after being shot while riding in the backset of her boyfriend’s car on U.S. 35 in Dayton. The Centerville High School graduate died while sitting next to her 4-year-old daughter.
Authorities arrested and charged a 23-year-old man, who police say had been in an argument over money with another passenger in Lyle’s vehicle. Law enforcement said Lyle was not the intended target of the shooting.
Dayton police data show that the city had 44 homicides and incidents of non-negligent manslaughter — 14 more than in 2023.
The police department said last year there were 512 part I violent crimes that involved a firearm, which was up 14% from 2023.
Police react to increase
Police Chief Afzal said the safety of community members is always the top priority for police.
“The Dayton Police Department is constantly looking at data and trends to work on ways to address different issues within our city,” he said.
In addition to an increase in killings, the police department last year also investigated 155 robberies, which was 29 more than the prior year (+23%).
Aggravated robberies increased 29%, to 201 incidents, and aggravated assaults rose 6%, to 582 incidents.
Afzal said some robberies are associated with Facebook Marketplace. Community members buy, sell and trade items on Facebook, and often they meet face-to-face to complete the transactions.
Sometimes, however, the meetings turn into crimes — often robberies or theft.
Afzal said police strongly recommend that community members who meet online buyers, sellers and traders do so at the city’s Safe Exchange Zones, which are located outside of police facilities.
The safe zones are located at 951 Washington St. in West Dayton; 248 Salem Ave. in northwest Dayton; 2721 Wayne Ave. in southeast Dayton; and 417 E. Helena St. in northeast Dayton.
Many types of crime decrease
Mayor Mims pointed out that crime overall declined in the city last year. The police department recorded about 18,840 criminal incidents — an 8% decrease from 2023.
Shootings into habitations plunged 35%; breaking and entering declined 20%; residential burglaries fell 7%; and forcible rapes dropped 9%.
Motor vehicle theft decreased 22% after surging in recent years, mainly owing to viral online videos showing people how to quickly and easily steal Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
Thefts from motor vehicles dropped 10%, while simple assault cases dipped 4%.
Other crime categories that saw declines included vandalism and property destruction offenses (-9%); simple assault related to domestic violence (-8%); stolen property offenses (-7%); and menacing (-5%).
Credit: Marshall Gorby
Credit: Marshall Gorby
The mayor said the city is working to help launch a new violence interruption program that he believes will lead to a reduction in gun violence, gang violence, family violence and violent acts of retaliation.
The Center for Gun Violence Solutions says that gun violence tends to be concentrated in poor, segregated neighborhoods that have suffered from disinvestment and that lack economic opportunities. A small number of people tend to be responsible for a large share of violent crime.
“They are often caught in cycles of victimization, trauma and retaliation, are disconnected from work and school, and lack the community supports to help them heal,” the center said.
Mims said the new program will seek to create a culture of peace. The proposed model consists of hiring and deploying community members who can build trust and relationships with individuals who are at the highest risk of being involved in violence.
These community members will try to change how people think and how they react to conflict and stress, while connecting them to useful services and resources.
Mayor Mims said community violence is a public health issue, and Dayton’s violence interruption model will be based on successful programs in other cities.
He said he wants to see more people learn how to resolve conflict without turning to fists or weapons. Mims also said that Dayton is the economic hub of the region, and crime and violence is harmful because it makes people worried about investing in the community.
“We want people to feel safe,” he said.
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