There's good preliminary news on the violent crime numbers for Peoria in 2011. Homicides, shootings, aggravated assaults and most acts of violent crime were all reported be be lower than in 2010, according to Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard. There were 17 homicides last year compared with 23 in 2010, which a 30 percent drop.
Settingsgaard says the numbers of homicides sometimes doesn't fall in line with other crime statistics, but he says in 2011 there seemed to be a downward trend across the board. The Chief says detectives and officers have been targeting a wide variety of hot spots, and certain criminal groups and individuals the past 2 years.
Settingsgaard says his department will add crime fighting tactics in 2012, citing the Mayor's announced new task force of multiple police and prosecution organzations banding together.
