State sees drop in serious crimes
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
While North Dakota saw a decline in serious crimes in 2019, the number of homicides reached the highest number since reports have been kept.
“This year’s report includes mostly encouraging news on the crime front, but one area of great concern,” states Wayne Stenehjem, North Dakota attorney general. “The long-term rate of the most serious offenses appears to have reached a plateau and even declined.”
According to the annual Crime Report detailing crime statistics for 2019, aggravated assaults, drug offenses, and driving under the influence were down.
“The one bleak spot in the state is for homicides, which reached 26 victims, the highest number since reports have been collected,” stated Stenehjem.
The state’s crime rate of 6,281.8 per 100,000 population is down slightly from the 2018 crime rate of 6,339.9.