Sterling Heights has once again been named the safest big city in Michigan, marking the sixth consecutive year it has earned the top spot, according to newly released FBI data.
Property crime dropped by 45% between 2023 and 2024, and the city reported just 305 total violent crimes, including only one homicide — the lowest among Michigan cities with populations over 100,000.
Violent crime in Sterling Heights is 15% lower than Ann Arbor and 59% lower than Warren.
“This is actually the sixth time in a row,” said Sterling Heights Police Chief Andy Satterfield. “It means the world to us as a department and as a city. Our officers are going out fighting crime every day, but it’s not only the officers in our special units. It’s the citizen involvement, our community policing, our leadership team here at Sterling. It’s a whole collaborative effort to keep us the safest big city in Michigan.”
Satterfield credited the city’s proactive policing strategy and strong partnership with residents.
“It’s such a good community. The people that live here are really what help keep crime down,” he said.
He also highlighted the work of school resource officers, the youth bureau, and the police explorers program. “Involvement in the community just keeps crime at a low level, on top of all the enforcement we do.”
The department’s clearance rate remains high thanks to its experienced detective bureau, undercover surveillance efforts, federal task force partnerships, and close collaboration with prosecutors and judges.
Looking ahead, Satterfield said the department is committed to maintaining its top ranking.
“We’ve already got our directed patrol unit, and they’re getting better and better,” he said. “They address quality-of-life issues, get into the neighborhoods, and are very visible. We’re also in the process of hiring — we have several officers in the academy right now who will be joining us soon — and we’re doing a recruitment push to hire the best of the best.”
Sterling Heights Police are also investing in new tools to fight crime.
“We’ve budgeted for drones as first responders and are in the process of picking a vendor,” Satterfield said, adding the program could launch within the next few months. The department is also adding six more Flock license plate cameras, which have already helped solve “numerous cases.”
“Technology is the future,” Satterfield said. “We’re also establishing a cryptocurrency task force to combat cryptocurrency fraud.”
Overdose Deaths Cut in Half
Beyond crime reduction, Sterling Heights has achieved a 50% reduction in overdose deaths since 2021, a milestone city officials say is saving lives and breaking cycles of addiction. The department partners with Face Addiction Now (FAN) on three key programs:
• Hope Not Handcuffs – allows individuals struggling with addiction to walk into the police station and get connected to treatment without fear of arrest.
• Quick Response Team – sends a police officer, peer recovery coach, and social worker back to the home of someone who recently overdosed within 72 hours, offering resources and a direct path to treatment.
• REDIRECT – diverts non-violent offenders, often arrested for crimes like retail fraud linked to addiction, out of the court system and into recovery programs. Successful completion can prevent the arrest from ever appearing on their record.
“If officers encounter someone that has some addiction issues, we have a team that goes back out to their house right away with a social worker, a peer support person, a police officer and offer them resources to help with their addiction problems,” Satterfield said.
The results have been dramatic. In 2021, Sterling Heights reported 114 overdoses and 20 overdose deaths — the highest numbers in city history. By 2025, those numbers dropped to 21 overdoses and four deaths year-to-date.
“We’re literally saving lives,” Satterfield said. “This program with a 50% reduction.
Satterfield urged residents struggling with addiction to take advantage of the programs.
“If anyone is having struggles with addiction, we’re not here to arrest you on this. We have resources to help you. We really want to help the community, and they can come in any time and we can find resources.”
Every Sterling Heights police officer carries Narcan.
