MACON, Ga. — Macon-Bibb saw its most violent year in 2018 since consolidation five years ago, according to crime statistics released by Sheriff David Davis on Tuesday.
Violent crime jumped 5 percent last year. That was driven by 41 homicides in the county -- the highest in decades -- and more than 500 aggravated assaults.
Property crime also rose about 5 percent last year, although arsons, burglaries, larcenies and auto theft were all lower than in 2014 and 2015 -- the start of consolidation.
Generally, violent crime has risen slightly since the city and county merged at the start of 2014, but property crime has dropped.
Compared to 2017, homicides, aggravated assaults, larcenies and auto thefts all increased last year.
Rapes, robberies and burglaries were down, and the number of arson fires was the same: 54.
Davis told county commissioners that he saw some bright spots in 2018.
- Homicide investigators cleared 72 percent of the county's killings, 11 points higher than the national average
- Two special operations took dozens of gang members off the street
- Special details have helped cut the number of robberies in 2018 and 2019
Davis told commissioners that his department still has problems hiring and keeping its officers.
He says departments like Houston County and the Bibb County Board of Education offer higher starting salaries.
Davis says he wants to offer signing bonuses for new deputies and improve the pensions offered to new hires.
Bibb crime numbers for 2018:
- Homicide: 41, up 37 percent since 2017
- Rape, 50, down 21 percent
- Robbery, 274, down 14 percent
- Aggravated Assault, 511, up 23 percent
- Violent Crime, 876, up 5.8 percent
- Arson, 54, no change
- Burglary, 1723, down 3 percent
- Larceny, 5665, up 5 percent
- Auto theft, 674, up 25 percent
- Property Crime, 8116, up 5 percent
- Total Crime, up 8992, 5.03 percent