FRESNO (KMJ) – Fresno Police update crime in the city – rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults even auto theft are all down year-to-date but not murder.
In what Police Chief Jerry Dyer calls a disturbing trend, there have been 38 in the city, so far this year compares to 18 at the same time last year.
“And what’s driving our murders in our city are really four categories; people that are involved in gangs, domestic murders -husbands versus wives, individuals that are facing mental health challenges, and the homeless.” Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.
32 murders have occurred in the Southern part of the city, Southeast, and Southwest and Central police districts, Chief Dyer says people involved in drugs or gangs or prostitution are mostly the victims.
Another category trending upwards is domestic violence, with injuries becoming more severe for the victims. Fresno Police is are forming domestic violence response teams to get the perpetrators – 100 suspects at any time -off the streets.
Speaking about the criminal factor in the homeless community, Chief Dyer says those homeless involved in crimes will be arrested and put in jail.
With the County of Fresno’s help the Fresno Police Department will be developing crisis response teams in the coming months, to respond alongside officer on mental health calls.
Chief Dyer says he’s authorized $250,000 dollars in overtime to take the most active influential gang members off the streets, and help address those four issues plaguing Fresno.
Click below to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
