Fresno sees increase in homicides, overall shootings down

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Killings are up so far this year in the city of Fresno.

"Homicides, we have five year to date, compared to last year we had three," said Fresno police Sgt. Diana Trueba Vega.

But police are cracking down on the killers roaming the city streets.

"Our detectives continue to work very thoroughly to investigate those and try to solve, we have an 80 percent clearance rate so far this year," said Sgt. Trueba Vega.

While homicides are up, the number of overall shootings are down, at this time last year there were 75 shootings, compared to 46 so far this year.

"During the year of 2020 to 2021, we were averaging 20 shootings per week, that is compared to last week, we had 4," said Sgt. Trueba Vega.

There's also about a 50 percent decrease in gang-related shootings.

One organization continues to make it their goal to decrease gun violence.

"We just establish more relationships in the community, so that we can have a broader approach to reducing gun violence," said Fresno EOC's Advance Peace Fresno, program manager, Aaron Foster. "We see more people on board and helping us as the community. They should really get the credit for these decreases, because without them, we'd have an uproar. We only come in with solutions with a different strategy, and they have to help us implement them."

Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, Advance Peace Fresno works to create a safer community by helping young men in urban neighborhoods who are exposed to deadly firearms get mentorship and guidance.

For program manager Aaron Foster and so many others, the mission is personal.

"We all had to bury someone that we love at the hands of a gun, so we do everything in our power so that we don't have to revisit that or relive that, some of us have buried more that one loved one," said Foster.

Police say if you see something, say something and that's how they will keep neighborhoods protected.

"We rely on that partnership with our community to continue decreasing the crime, and we are definitely safer in 2024 in the city of Fresno," said Sgt. Trueba Vega.

There have not been any shootings involving police officers so far this year, compared to one at this time last year.

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