Reports of Violent Crime Down in 2010, According to Redmond Police Statistics

Reports of most major crimes were down last year in Redmond, according to end-of-the-year statistics from the .

The number of reported robberies, burglaries and assaults were all down in 2010 compared to 2009, while the number of murders remained constant at zero. The number of reported rapes rose from nine to 18, but department spokesman Jim Bove said several factors could have contributed to the increase.

All but one of the reported rapes were allegedly committed by someone the victim knew, Bove said, and some cases reportedly took place in other jurisdictions or in years passed.

“It doesn’t look there are any common trends or reason why they increased,” Bove said.

The number of reported residential burglaries also increased by 15 percent, from 122 to 140. Bove said part of the increase can be attributed to a string of crimes that were committed by the same group of suspects in late summer.

Three arrests have been made in those cases, Bove said.

Identity and mail theft were the two crime categories with the greatest 2009 to 2010 increases — 49 and 29 percent, respectively. In this case, Bove said the department believes more suspects are committing these types of crimes.

Technology, he said, is likely the driving force behind the increase.

"It’s probably happening more often," Bove said. “There are more scams out there.”