Statistics show that Fort Wayne is among the safest mid-sized cities in the country. There has been much positive momentum in this area under Mayor Henry’s leadership: violent crime is down for the second straight year, and homicides decreased by 45 percent, with a clearance rate of 83 percent. Mayor Henry views public safety as a priority and will combat crime by 1) maintaining a robust Fort Wayne Police Department that enjoys a full contingency of commissioned officers, and will recruit up to 500 new officers; 2) supporting and enhancing an aggressive, yet culturally sensitive, Gang and Violent Crime Unit; and 3) continuing to combat the opioid crisis by pursuing a public nuisance lawsuit against opioid distributors while working with the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health and partner agencies to fight the opioid epidemic through proactive rehabilitation and prevention programs. In addition, our Fire Department will also recruit 370 firefighters by the end of 2023 to further ensure the safety of our citizens.