Crime in Maine has decreased nearly 30% over the past four years, but the amount of crimes against people have increased.

Overall, crime in Maine decreased by just over 7% during 2015, making it the fourth consecutive year in a row that the state has seen a decrease. The Department of Public Safety says the statistics show a decrease of 13% in 2014, 8.3% in 2013, and 1.5% in 2012, for a total decline over the past four years of 29.9%. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the number of 'crimes against people' have increased. That term refers to rape, robbery, aggravated assaults, and homicide. Rape cases increased the most, with 17 more in 2015 than the year before. There were 16 more aggravated assaults, 7 more robberies, and 3 more homicides. Motor vehicle thefts also saw an increase of nearly 2%.

On the positive front, there were 3.2% fewer simple assaults in 2015 than the year before, 6.7% fewer burglaries,and roughly 8% fewer larceny thefts and arson cases. Domestic violence assaults were also down, with 160 fewer over that 12 months. Maine's Domestic Violence helpline number is 866-834-HELP, and the sexual assault helpline is 800-871-7741.

The value of stolen property went down in 2015, compared to the year before, and the total amount of those stolen items recovered by police went up. Adult arrests dropped by 5.3 percent, while the number of juvenile arrests saw a nearly 10% decrease.

Public Safety Commissioner John Morris referred, in a press release, to the influence of drugs on the state's crime statistics.

"As hopeful as the overall crime numbers are, drugs are still the driving force for most of Maine crime."

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