Crime rates rise in Yuma, but violence down
Crime in Yuma increased by about 3 percent in 2005, mirroring trends across most of the country for cities its size. However, the city did see a drop in two of four violent-crime categories, according to new FBI figures released yesterday by the federal agency.
The data show there were 4,469 Part 1 crimes in Yuma in 2005, up from 4,337 in 2004.
Part 1 crimes, as defined by the FBI, include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson.
Nationwide, the number of homicides and robberies increased from 2004, however, rapes and aggravated assaults dropped.
Overall, violent crime in the U.S. rose 2.5 percent with more than 1.4 million crimes reported to the FBI, the largest one-year percentage increase since 1991. Property crime decreased by 1.6 percent.
Murders increased by 4.8 percent with more than 16,900 victims nationwide in 2005, the most since 1998 and the largest jump recorded in 15 years.
Yuma Police Department spokesman Clint Norred said Yuma saw a spike in homicides and robberies and increases in certain property crimes, but overall crime increased slightly from the previous year.
"If you look at the numbers, we didn't really go up too much," Norred said.
The largest increases in Yuma were in the number of homicides and robberies.
In 2005, Yuma recorded 11 homicides compared to three in 2004.
That figure is deceiving, Norred said, because one crime had six victims.
Last June, YPD found Adrienne Heredia, her four children and her boyfriend murdered at an East La Mesa Street residence. The crime remains unsolved.
Robberies in Yuma increased a little more than 65 percent, from 46 to 76 in 2005. Yuma also saw thefts climb a little more than 10 percent from 530 to 591. Nationally, robberies increased 4.8 percent in 2005.
The number of burglaries in Yuma also jumped in 2005. The city reported 749 burglaries up from 654 in 2004 - about 15 percent. Burglaries across the country rose 0.6 percent.
"Those are continually on the rise," Norred said.
Yuma mirrored national figures in the number of rapes with 30 - nine fewer than 2004, about 23 percent. Rape was down nearly 2 percent nationally compared with last year.
The city bucked the national trend in the number of aggravated assaults.
Yuma recorded 449 aggravated assaults in 2005 - 77 fewer than a year ago. The number of aggravated assaults nationwide increased by 1.9 percent in 2005, while in Yuma it dropped about 15 percent.
Motor-vehicle thefts in Yuma increased.
There were 591 thefts in 2005, an increase of 61 from 2004.
FBI figures show no significant change in the number of Motor-vehicle thefts nationwide from last year.
Norred said Yuma sees more vehicle thefts because of its close proximity to the Mexican border.
"We're only 20 minutes from the border," Norred said. " Being a border community certainly contributes to some forms of crime like vehicle thefts."
Cities with populations of 50,000 to 500,000 saw their numbers increase the most. Many major U.S. cities including Atlanta, Detroit, New York and Los Angeles recorded fewer murders. However,
Phoenix recorded 220 murders in 2005, a nine percent increase from 2004, which had 202.
A major city has a million or more residents.
All four of the nation's regions - Northeast, Midwest, South and West - reported increases in murder, robbery and aggravated assault. Midwestern states saw the largest increase in crime at 5.7 percent, while the West saw its overall crime increase by 1.9 percent.
Cities with populations between 10,000 to 24,999 showed the greatest percentage increase in car thefts up 1.9 percent in 2005.
The number of property crimes nationally decreased overall however. All four regions reported a drop in property crimes with the West seeing a 1.3 percent decline.
The FBI data was compiled from reports by 12,000 law enforcement agencies. These numbers are preliminary and do not explain the changes.
The FBI's final report will be released in the fall.
Mark Randall can be reached at
mrandall@yumasun.com or 539-6855.
