Mayor Joseph P. Ganim Chief of Police
Bridgeport, CT Armando J. Perez
For Immediate Release For More Information:
July 25, 2016 Av Harris (203)814-7992
av.harris@bridgeportct.gov
-Press Release-
Statistics Through First half of 2016 Show Major Reductions in Homicides, Shootings in Bridgeport
Homicide By Gunfire Down 75%, Overall Homicide Down 50%, Overall Shootings in Bridgeport Down 25% in 2016 compared to 2015
Bridgeport – Mayor Joe Ganim and Bridgeport Police Chief AJ Perez today released statistics from the Bridgeport Police Department through the first six months of 2016 showing dramatic reductions in homicide and shootings compared to last year. So far in 2016 Bridgeport has seen only four homicides, a 50% reduction from the homicide figure through the first six months of 2015. Specifically, only two homicides in Bridgeport thus far this year have resulted from gunfire, a 75% decline in the shooting homicide figure from the same time period in 2015. Overall, Bridgeport has seen a 25% reduction in shooting incidents (45 shootings as compared to 60) in the first half of this year as compared to January through June of 2015.
“These numbers show remarkable progress made by the Bridgeport Police Department in taking preventative steps to reduce gun violence,” said Mayor Ganim. “Chief AJ Perez and the entire police force have been very proactively pursuing a strategy to get illegal guns that could be used to harm Bridgeport residents off our streets. Even one homicide is too many, but we can see that our new policing strategy is already yielding results. We are also committed to growing the size of the police force so we can keep this positive trend going.”
Bridgeport Police Chief AJ Perez said, “We are making our community safer by cracking down on crime havens and keeping the pressure on illegal drug and gun dealers, and this is only the beginning. We have strong partnerships in all of these efforts with state and federal law enforcement agencies. Our most valuable resource, however, is the support we receive every day from the people of Bridgeport who trust our officers enough to provide key information that helps us investigate, solve and prevent crime every day. This partnership will be critical to continuing to improve public safety in our city.”
Bridgeport City Councilwoman Jeanette Herron from the 133rd District said, “Due to the new administration and the wonderful chief, our police officers are working harder than ever to keep crime down in our city. I am proud of their work and my constituents have really noticed the improvement!”
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