A bit of good news: Crime is down…

Crime is down in Idaho, continuing a multiyear trend, and it’s down even more in North Idaho. Both the number of serious crimes committed and the area’s crime rate in 2008 fell significantly from the previous year, according to the state’s latest statistics; that trend also held statewide. The Panhandle now has the third-lowest crime rate of the state’s six regions and is below the state average. Interestingly, the Southwestern Idaho region that includes Ada and Canyon counties saw its crime rate fall even more - 10.6 percent, vs. 8.8 percent in the Panhandle and 7.9 percent statewide. Offenses committed in the southwest region dropped by 8.6 percent. That region has the second-highest crime rate (per capita) among the six regions - the highest is southeastern Idaho, and third-highest is north-central Idaho. The lowest crime rate, by far, is in east-central Idaho, but that was also the only region to see the number of offenses increase (by 1.2 percent). You can read my full story here in today’s Spokesman-Review, and read the annual Crime in Idaho report here .