(NEWS CENTER Maine) — Incidents of rape, assault, motor vehicle theft, and homicide saw increases in 2017, according to state statistics released Thursday.
According to the report released by Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland, incidents of rape increased the most dramatically of any other crime in Maine in 2017 with a 17 percent increase.
Four hundred forty-eight rapes were reported last year as compared with 383 rape cases the year before.
Overall crime in Maine decreased 8.2 percent during 2017, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety. It is the sixth consecutive year that crime has dropped in Maine for a total decline during the past six years of 46.8 percent.
Crime dropped 8.7 percent in 2016, 7.1 percent in 2015, 13 percent in 2014, 8.3 percent in 2013, and 1.5 percent in 2012.
“The positive numbers are a team effort by law enforcement, prosecutors, the courts and advocacy groups. Six years of decreasing crime stats in Maine is unprecedented, however drugs are still connected to much of the state’s crime,” Public Safety Commissioner John Morris said.
