The city's homicide rate was among the highest in the country in 2010, and the 2011 statistics, expected to be released this week, appear just as grim.

Murders in Detroit jumped from 308 in 2010 to at least 346 in 2011, an average of about three more per month, according to Detroit Police Department statistics and police reports.

Police are expected to release the official 2011 figures this week, but an unofficial tally shows the increase over 2010 will likely be around 15 percent, making the city's murder rate about 48 for every 100,000 residents.

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