The City of Peoria saw an increase in shootings last year but fewer homicides. Peoria Police Department Data shows a 40% increase in shootings. There were 98 shooting incidents in Peoria last year. Though some of those instances had multiple victims. 122 people were shot.
Both the number of incidents and people shot are at a 10 year high. Peoria Police Captain Loren Marion says they know there will be peaks and valleys in shooting statistics annually:
“I still believe if you focus on the one percent of the community that is causing the violence if you can get them off the streets that your violence will be reduced. So we are still focused on that and we will still focus on those individuals.”
2016 is the fourth year the city used the Don’t Shoot Program. That program includes targeting the areas where shootings are happening by a small number of people who are considered chronic offenders.
Six people were killed by gunfire last year. That’s compared to 11 gunfire deaths in 2015 and 3 in 2014.