South Bend police is reporting a significant decline in shootings so far in 2023 compared to last year and some city leaders believe that’s due to an increase in the number of officers on the streets in recent months.
According to department statistics through August 23, there have been 50 people injured in criminal shootings in South Bend. During the same span last year that number was 89 and in 2021, the first seven months of the year saw 78 people injured.
Those numbers do not include accidental shootings or suicides.
On Thursday South Bend Mayor James Mueller said the decline in shootings can be traced to an increase in the number of officers on the department.
"It is no coincidence that we are fully staffed for the first time in a number of years and crime is lower than in the last number of years," Mueller said.
By the end of this year, the city figures to have nearly 250 sworn officers on staff. As recently as last summer, the department was down to just 209 officers — which meant police weren’t able to be as proactive about traffic enforcement and other patrols police chief Scott Ruszkowski said can reduce more violent offenses.
Of the criminal shootings so far this year, 12 have been fatal.
Ruszkowski and Mueller also pointed to other improvements in the department's technology, like the Real Time Crime Center and more surveillance cameras, and an increased willingness from residents to provide information to investigators.
