The Orlando Police Department is ending the year with more than 70% of this year’s murder solved.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

9 Investigates looked into the dramatic improvement in clearance rate since the new chief took over.

Police have now solved nearly three-fourths of the city’s murders, much higher than what was reported in May when only a quarter of them had been solved.

Orlando has seen 38 homicides so far this year.

READ: Police: Man surrenders after fatally shooting ex-girlfriend, 23, in Melbourne

In the first half of the year, OPD solved about 58% of crimes committed. Since Chief Eric Smith became the chief, 89% of those cases have been solved.

OPD had 33 investigations with two of them involving more than one victim.

Of those, 18 have been closed with an arrest, six have been closed as administratively resolved, meaning a suspect has been identified, but it was a justifiable use of deadly force.

READ: FBI tracking major uptick in teens targeted by online threat “sextortion”

The remaining case involved four victims, and was closed because the offender died.

The department attributed the spike in clearance rates to detectives having more time to work on those cases.

But the department also credits change, telling Channel 9, “As you know, Chief Smith has reorganized the department with an emphasis on reducing and solving violent crimes. This emphasis is already producing impactful results.”

READ: Wells Fargo to pay $3.7 billion for consumer banking violations

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.