Ray Lewis: Crime in Baltimore decreased when I played for the Ravens

Ray Lewis claims there was a correlation between his playing days with the Ravens and lower crime rates in Baltimore.

“When I played, crime went lower in Baltimore,” Lewis said Friday, according to ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. “It’s like, nobody needs to be mad now. It’s like everybody wants to be happy and celebrate.”

Lewis made his Ravens debut in 1996 and was with the club until he retired in January 2013.

According to City-Data.com, Baltimore’s crime index—which generates a score based on violent and serious crime rates—reached a mark of 908.2 in 2002 when Lewis was squarely in his prime. That figure was the highest of any between 2002-16.