Report indicates crime up in Nevada

A new report indicates crime in Nevada has increased. Locally, the numbers tell a different story, said Lyon County Sheriff's Capt. Jeff Page.

The crime rate for Lyon County was listed as 20.97 incidents per 1,000 people as opposed to the state, which was 46.77 incidents per 1,000 people, he said.

"The crime rate actually dropped 7.3 percent from 2004 to 2005 in Lyon County," he said.

Of the 29 offenses tracked by the Nevada Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery and larceny were the only crimes statewide to see a decrease. Murders statewide increased by 14 percent with 210 murders in 2005 compared to 180 in 2004.

Overall crime rate numbers were not available for Carson City and Storey County.

Thirty-seven Nevada law enforcement agencies reported offenses to the program in the following categories: criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson. Carson City, Storey and Lyon counties take part in the yearly tracking. However, overall crime rate numbers were not available for Carson and Storey.

According to the report, in 2005 in Carson City the majority of the 3,739 arrests tracked individually by UCR involved assault or drunken driving.

• 186 men and 56 women were arrested for the act or attempted act of simple assault, assault and battery, resisting or obstructing an officer, intimidation, coercion, hazing, minor assault and injury by negligence.

• 171 men and 44 women were arrested for drunken driving.

In Lyon County, the majority of the 1,246 arrests in 2005 tracked individually by the UCR involved drunken driving and domestic abuse.

• 187 men and 36 women were arrested for drunken driving; and 103 men and 35 women committed offenses against the family, such as the attempt or act of desertion, neglect or abuse of a spouse or child.

In Storey County, the majority of the 78 arrests tracked individually by the UCR were made up of drunken driving and assault.

• 19 men and two women were arrested for drunken driving.

• 10 women and two men were arrested for the act or attempt of simple assault, assault and battery, resisting or obstructing an officer, intimidation, coercion, hazing, minor assault and injury by culpable negligence.

The Nevada Uniform Crime Reporting Program does not individually track 26 offenses to include bribery, blackmail and extortion, trespassing, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of burglary tools, bringing drugs or liquor into state prison, perjury and public nuisance.

Domestic violence incidences for which police became involved in Lyon County dropped from 335 in 2004 to 217 in 2005. Storey County saw an increase from 14 to 24 and Carson City reported 408 offenses in 2004, but the number of arrests, citations or summons for 2005 were not available, though officers responded to 699 calls.

The Carson City Sheriff's Department has 88 men and eight women as sworn deputies. Lyon County Sheriff's Department has 67 men and six women and the Storey County Sheriff's Department employees 12 men and one woman as sworn deputies.

In 2005, $4,855,005 worth of property was stolen in Carson City, with $3,019,432 worth recovered. Lyon County reported $1,639,633 worth of property stolen, with $376,96 worth recovered. Storey County reported stolen property value at $695,534 with $522,050 recovered. In all three counties, the property type with the highest recovery rate was motor vehicles.

Statewide, more than $273 million dollars worth of property was stolen in 2005.