Summer is often a time when violent crime spikes as youths free from school get into trouble on the streets, but this summer homicides, robberies and assaults are down to a several-year low, city officials said Wednesday. Mayor Vince Gray and police Chief Cathy Lanier credited the dip to a multi-agency approach that not only flooded neighborhoods known for summer violence with police officers, but also kept streets cleans, alleys well-lit, and youths involved with work and education activities. Overall, crimes committed by youths was down about 50 percent from 2010, officials said. With 16 homicides committed since June, the city is 54 percent below the five-year average of killings committed during the same period.

“This is 100 percent attributable to our collaborative efforts,” Gray said Wednesday. “It’s a different way of doing business. We’ve put agency directors in position to work with each other.”