New statistics out Monday from the FBI show violent crime continues to decrease in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
That’s consistent with the general trend in crime rates nationwide. However, there are a few notable exceptions in the Northwest that may be of interest to car owners.
Both Idaho and Washington saw an increase in car thefts in 2013 -- Idaho in particular. It’s up by 12 percent over the previous year. Washington was already among the highest in the nation. People in every major city in the state except Vancouver reported more stolen vehicles -- and in Tukwila there was a theft for about every 50 people.
In Idaho, tourist hotspots lit up last year with some of the state’s highest crime levels -- Coeur d’Alene, Sun Valley and McCall had violent crime rates that rivaled Seattle’s.
This year, the FBI also rolled out a new definition of rape. Rape statistics now include male and female victims and perpetrators, there’s a broader definition of acts that count as rape and they no longer must be forcible. That’s to reflect crimes against unconscious people.
Oregon’s rate increased dramatically under this new definition.
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