The reported number of aggravated assaults that take place in Grand Rapids far outpaces the national average, according to data maintained by the FBI.
Aggravated assault, as defined by the agency, is an “unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury.” The FBI maintains an online database showing assault figures, and other crimes, as reported by police departments in cities across the U.S.
When examining Grand Rapids, aggravated assaults have exceeded the national average since late 2019, a period of more than six years.
Since 2020, the city has seen its aggravated assault numbers per 100,000 people fluctuate between 40.49 and 94.4. Over that same period, the figures for aggravated assaults per 100,000 people across the U.S. remained below 40 in all but one month.
Most assaults recorded happened at a home or residence between two people with no relationship to one another. Most assaults involved “personal weapons” and were most often linked to destruction of property and vandalism charges.
Newly released survey results last week showed 90% of Grand Rapids residents felt the city needed to focus on improving safety. That poll measured Grand Rapids against a cohort of “high performing” cities and counties across the country.
Grand Rapids was also considered “lower” than the rest of the group in quality of safety. Respondents gave Grand Rapids a 64% quality score in that category.
The high assault rate puts Grand Rapids far ahead of other cities with similar population sizes over the same time period.
Des Moines, Iowa recorded a peak of 68.82 assaults per 100,000 people in June of 2024. In Aurora, Illinois, the average assault figure rose to a peak of just 27.16 in July of 2023.
Fort Wayne, Indiana, which has about 70,000 more residents than Grand Rapids, reached a peak average assault of 49.58 in July 2020. Madison, Wisconsin, with roughly 80,000 more residents than Grand Rapids, reached a peak of just 27.35 assaults in July 2023.
Grand Rapids also exceeds national averages in other forms of crime including rape, robbery and theft from a motor vehicle.
A spokesperson for the Grand Rapids Police Department did not respond to a request for comment regarding these numbers.
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