KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo Public Safety reports that violent crime has reached a record low over the last decade, dropping 10% over that time.
READ MORE: Kalamazoo Public Safety touts violent crime rate hitting 10-year low
Kalamazoo neighborhood reporter Julie Dunmire spoke with neighbors on the Kalamazoo Mall to get their thoughts on the crime statistics.
Edwin Ballines, who lives near Western's campus, says he's expressed surprised to hear the numbers come back lower than normal.
"It kind of surprises me actually, I live near campus, and I feel like the sound of crime seems fairly similar if not more. Kalamazoo, you hear gunshots here and there. Western gets a lot of emails out to students where there will be news being reported about their being gunshots in the area," Ballines said.
Ballienes went on to say that he feels as though there have been less emails sent to students recently.
The statistics show significant improvements in several categories. Homicides have decreased by 53% over the last five years, according to Kalamazoo Public Safety. Aggravated assaults dropped 28% over the same period, while robberies fell by 44%.
Watch Julie Dunmire's video story below:
Penny Riggs, who lives in Kalamazoo's Vine Neighborhood, says she's noticed a difference.
"I mean, it doesn't surprise me. I've been here for like 5 years now, like I mentioned. So I've seen a lot. And it's definitely slowed down in the last six months especially," Riggs said.
Riggs also noted personal improvements in their experience with property crime.
"We had our car broken into a few times. I haven't seen anything like that, at all, recently. Or heard from my friends. I talk to my friends about that kind of thing. I believe that it's slowed down," Riggs said.
The mixed reactions from residents align with national trends. A recent Gallup article indicates that Americans' perception of crime is improving, with people increasingly viewing it as less of a serious issue for the second straight year.
Kalamazoo neighbor Kayla Sanders wasn't surprised by the record low numbers when I spoke to them downtown.
Danielle Clark acknowledged seeing regular daily crime but agreed that serious incidents have decreased.
"Regular crime on the daily? That's normal. They're always doing crime. There's daily crime. Saying it's at an all time low, I'd say it is. There's not as many mass shootings as there's been," Clark said.
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