BALTIMORE (AP) - FBI crime statistics place Baltimore's homicide rate above that of any other U.S. city with a population over 500,000.
Citing crime data released Monday, The Baltimore Sun reports that the 342 homicides in the city last year yielded a homicide rate of 56 per 100,000 people.
Among big U.S. cities, Baltimore was followed by Detroit, which recorded a homicide rate of 40 per 100,000 people; Memphis, Tennessee, with a rate of 28 per 100,000 and Chicago, with a rate of 24 per 100,000.
But some smaller cities reported a higher homicide rates. St. Louis has a population of slightly over 300,000 and registered a homicide rate of 66 per 100,000.
So far this year, Baltimore says homicides are down 16 percent from last year.