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Utah Crime Decreased Last Year, But Sex Assaults Increased

Sexual assaults on the rise in Utah
wamc.org
Sexual assaults on the rise in Utah

Statistics show violent and property crime are down in Utah, but the number of sexual assaults increased again last year.

Figures from the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification released Wednesday show crime dropped overall by more than 5 percent from the prior year.

According to the data compiled from reports submitted by 130 law enforcement agencies in the state, the number of homicides decreased by 2.6 percent and aggravated assaults fell by 14.6 percent last year.

The number of rapes jumped by 11 percent last year, continuing an upward trend over the past four years.

There was also a rise in hate crime last year, increasing from 57 crimes reported in 2016 to 75 across the state.