FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Violent crime is down in the City of Fresno.  City leaders announced the 2024 violent crime statistics Monday, touting a 97% homicide clearance rate.  “When you can solve a murder or you can solve a shooting quickly, you prevent retaliatory type gang shootings in your city,” Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said.  Overall, Fresno saw 30 homicides, 221 shootings and 2,817 aggravated assaults, including stabbings.  Fresno also saw a 16.6% decrease in rapes and a 1.6% decrease in robberies.  Every violent crime category fell in 2024, except stabbing.  “We did have more stabbings this year. And when you speak of aggravated assault, you should know they include domestic violence where there's a threat of significant injury to the victim,” Interim Chief Mindy Castro said.  Dyer says Fresno is much safer than it was just a few years ago.  For example, Fresno had a total of 30 homicides in 2024. However, in 2021, Fresno reached its 30th homicide by May 8. Homicides have decreased 60% since then.  “Why has violent crime gone down so much in the City of Fresno over the last three years? There's a number of reasons for that. But I'd like to state the obvious. And it is that cops count. Police matter,” Dyer said.  The police department currently has 861 officers but has the capacity for 926.  “This is a hard job. Not just anyone can do it, and we're looking for qualified people. We take seriously every person that we pin this badge on,” Casto said.  Casto credits the decrease in violent crime to the police officers and community involvement.  “Community engagement without enforcement doesn't work. And enforcement without community engagement doesn't work,” Casto said.  However, while violent crime is down, the city says they still have a lot of work to do to address other types of crime.  Dyer says that will be his number one priority in 2025.  A secondary priority will be to hire a new full-time police chief.  Dyer says the City hired an outside search firm to find qualified candidates and local leaders will choose the new chief in March.