Police chief says number of gun crimes in city remains low

Erie’s police chief credits specialized law enforcement efforts, grants and an increased number of officers with contributing to a continued decline in some of the city’s most serious crimes this year.

Chief Dan Spizarny released crime data Thursday for the first nine months of 2024 that he said reveals “impressive numbers” in crime categories that have been high in recent years but have declined significantly until present this year.

These figures include three homicides in the city between January and September, compared to 13 over the same period in 2023; 13 people shot, compared to 41 last year; and 80 confirmed shooting incidents, up from 146 last year.

Homicides in Erie have since increased to five, following the fatal beating of a 31-year-old man on Oct. 30 and the death of a city woman in another incident the next day. Erie finished 2023 with 14 homicides.

Of the 13 incidents in which a person was shot, four were accidental and three were justified, Spizarny said. Of the remaining six incidents, four were resolved by investigators, he said.

There have been 49 people shot in Erie during 2023, compared to 67 the year before. Shooting incidents in Erie fell to 194 in 2023, compared to 239 in 2022 and 311 in 2021, according to city police data.

Reduction in other crimes, but increase in general theft

Also notable in the data released by Spizarny on Thursday was a reduction in thefts, burglaries, firearm thefts, thefts from motor vehicles and thefts from motor vehicles. However, crimes reported as general theft increased by nearly 170 incidents in the first three quarters of this year compared to 2023, Spizarny said. These thefts can range from someone stealing a political sign to someone taking an item from someone’s yard, he said.

“We have received numerous reports of people dropping off a wallet or payment card at a convenience store and leaving, and someone picks it up and starts using it,” Spizarny said.

Another notable three-quarter increase in crime has been arson, with 27 incidents reported so far this year, compared to 15 at the same time last year, according to Spizarny.

Specialized units, increased number of officers assisting

Spizarny said Thursday that a number of specialized units created in recent years, including the Juvenile Delinquency Unit, the Crisis Unit and an outreach program aimed at helping drug overdose victims, have helped reduce the high number of crimes. He noted that there were 110 fewer drug overdoses and 25 fewer overdose deaths in Erie during the first nine months of this year compared to 2023, and he thanked the efforts of those working in the framework of the overdose assistance program and the grants that support it for helping to reduce drug use. these figures.

This program, along with several other programs and initiatives within the Erie Police Bureau, are supported by $8.1 million in grants and reimbursements received in 2023 and $6.8 million received this year, said the leader.

“We couldn’t do the work that we do without these grants. There’s no way the city is able to provide us with this money, so the grants we’re asking for are huge,” Spizarny said.

But more importantly, he added, the city police bureau now has the capacity to do what is necessary thanks to an increase in its staffing levels. The current complement of 194 officers increased from 173 officers starting in 2022 thanks to part of Erie’s American Rescue Plan funding.

“We need the right number to make Erie a safe place,” Spizarny said.

Contact Tim Hahn at [email protected]. Follow him on @ETNhahn.