ORLANDO, Fla. — Channel 9 rode with Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith to discuss the statistics and what lead to the murder rate decreasing and the clearance rate increasing.
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Early in the year, David Alex Sligh was murdered in a road rage incident in January of this year; the shooter was later arrested for his murder.
The number of homicides has dropped down 54% from last year, but the number Officer Smith is really focused on is the clearance rate.
In May of 2022, the clearance rates were at 25 percent.
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A month later, it rose to 37%.
By early 2023, OPD detectives were solving more than 80% of their murders.
But now here in 2024, 100% of the murders in the city came with an arrest.
“That’s what it is right now, and I credit that to the detectives. My homicide detectives are doing an amazing job, but it’s not just them. They’re getting the word out to the patrol officers who will help them to find people, to get witnesses.”
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