Murder in Oakland has been an intractable problem — and such a heated issue that even the city’s top police brass speak in soft whispers about any successes in their efforts to decrease it because peace here is fragile and subject to change without reason or warning.

This is a city that’s averaged 109 homicides a year for the last 45 years, so it’s hard not to want to talk out loud about the fact that this year, Oakland has recorded only seven homicides. That projects to be the lowest first-quarter total since 1986 — as far back as the Police Department’s computer records go.

Seven killings may be nothing to write home about. But what’s happening in Oakland feels different.

“Looking back, I don’t think we’ve ever started a year out like this,” said Police Chief Sean Whent.

Last year at this time, Oakland already had 18 homicides. The year before that, 18 as well. There also have been fewer aggravated assaults, rapes, robberies, burglaries and car thefts compared with this time last year, according to the city’s weekly crime report for the period ending Sunday. Only drug possession and sales are up.

Daunting numbers

The Police Department’s strategic plan released in December notes that Oakland — tied with Memphis and Detroit — topped the FBI’s list of the 50 largest U.S. cities in 2014 with the highest overall crime rate. Despite a steady decline in its overall crime rate, Oakland still ranked among the five large U.S. cities with the highest rates of violent crime in 2013 and 2014. Oakland also had 10 violent crimes per officer in 2014 — the most of any large U.S. city and more than twice the national average, according to the city report.

It’s no coincidence that the city’s crime rate is falling at the same time its fortunes are rising.

Oakland is changing before our eyes, but not just because of new, well-monied arrivals, increased investment and new housing starts.

“People are helping our investigations more and more,” Whent said. “We get video from residents and business owners, and there’s more interest in lowering crime and a heavier police presence — all these things together are making a difference.”

The city has prioritized beefing up its police force, which has gone from 600 officers in 2013 to 740 this year. And last summer, FBI officers moved in to police headquarters to improve investigative coordination between the city and feds and crack down on the worst criminals.

Hard work pays off

In East Oakland, Bishop Bob Jackson has devoted 32 years to saving lost souls, raising community awareness and engaging residents in shaping their destinies — and after decades of work it’s starting to pay off, he said.

“This is a collaborative effort, and for the first time we’re actually working together,” he said of community and government efforts.

Churches take action

Jackson’s church, Acts Full Gospel, is one of the city’s largest, but one of many that have established programs to serve African American youth, and counsel, train and ready ex-offenders for a world outside prison. His church runs the OK Program, which targets young men for help, Souls Restaurant, which trains and employs ex-offenders, and re-established chaplain services for youth incarcerated in juvenile detention facilities.

He credits Whent with placing a priority on removing violent shooters from the street and allowing social programs such as Operation Ceasefire to take hold in the communities they serve.

Praise for chief

“Whent is a different kind of police chief,” Jackson said, before the latest homicide was reported. “He’s willing to listen and work with the community. He’s a quiet guy who doesn’t do a lot of talking, but when he does, he keeps his word.”

Former Mayor Jean “Quan dealt with 100 blocks, but Whent is focused on removing 100 shooters — and we are seeing the evidence. Six homicides since the beginning of the year? Man, that’s a miracle,” Jackson proclaimed.

Oakland police attribute some of the change to their increased collaboration with outside law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, but there is greater help from once-unwilling residents as well.

The Ceasefire program, which identifies active gang members and offers them job and education services or a guaranteed prison term for the next offense, has been bolstered with additional caseworkers and greater funding.

After four years of working with gangs, the Police Department, community organizations and social service programs have made inroads never forged before.

“It’s very, very difficult to prevent the dispute that leads to that first shooting, but knowing the groups, their leaders and where they hang out has helped us to stop the other ones,” Whent said. “Reducing retaliation shootings is where we’ve been most successful.”

The city may not be able to claim victory just yet, but these are promising numbers the likes of which have not been recorded in 30 years — and that is a significant and welcome change.

Chip Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. His columns appear Tuesday and Friday. Email: chjohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @chjohnson