According to a recent crime report for 2015, Dover had a massive homicide problem. And while 2016 has seen no homicides thus far in the city, the numbers from last year are undoubtedly troubling. The report indicates that in 2015, the city had seven homicides. In 2014, there were only two. There are a wide variety of causes for this major increase in murders but Dover police are placing much of the blame on increased drug trafficking and use of illegal drugs.
According to the report, robberies were down more than 30% in 2015 compared to the prior year, so all the news is not grim. The reduction in robberies and the fact that no murders have occurred thus far may be, in part, to increased patrols by police who are targeting street crimes. While this is a positive sign, the root causes of drug crime, gun crime and homicide will not simply evaporate. Addressing the underlying causes for crime is not something law enforcement can do alone.