OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Crime rates in Oklahoma City have continued their steady decline over recent years. Officials with the Oklahoma City Police Department told KFOR they believe it’s for a variety of reasons.
“Crime is trending downward. It has been for several years now. Obviously, we’re happy to see that,” M.Sgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department said.
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt tweeted the encouraging news Tuesday of dropping crime over the past decade.
In 2013, there were roughly eight crimes per 1,000 people. That number has dropped to about five in 2022.
Property crimes are also down from about 133 per 1,000 households to roughly 74.
Knight said there are a variety of reasons for it.
“Some of them, probably socioeconomic,” he said. “But there’s also, at least in this community, a very good partnership with our citizens. We are very well funded. We get amazing equipment that helps us do the things we do here, and we’ve always had real strong community support here.”
He added that with the crime they do see in the city, the driving factor is generally drugs.
“Whether it’s burglaries, robberies, things along those lines, assaults,” he said. “A lot of shootings are drug related, especially drive by shootings.”
Knight did point out there have been crime spikes in the past, despite the downward trend. There was a small upward surge in 2018.
Gun violence is a continued threat statewide.
Including suicides and accidental shootings, there are over 700 gun deaths in an average year across Oklahoma.
Gun violence can also cost the taxpayer.
According to Everystat.org, it costs almost $2,600 per taxpayer each year.
Gun deaths and injuries cost Oklahoma $10.3 billion every year and $206 million of that is paid by taxpayers.
However, in Oklahoma City, the murder rate is trending lower.
“We’ve been very fortunate to see it going down, especially in the area of persons crimes, which is assaults, homicides, things like that,” Knight said. “But anyway, I hope that crime trend continues.”
