Crime inched up throughout Colorado last year, with a 2.1 percent increase in violent crimes and a 1.3 percent climb in property crimes, according to an annual report by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
The 2013 state crime report, released Tuesday, showed an overall 1.8 percent increase in crime for the year.
Rape crimes showed the highest percent change — 41.3 percent — with 2,903 reported, up from 2,055 in 2012.
However, the number of rape cases doesn’t represent a crime-trend increase. Rather, it is the result of two offenses being added to data: forcible sodomy and sexual assault with an object.
“It is merely an extension of the rape data collection,” according to the report, which includes statewide statistics reported by 249 law enforcement agencies.
The Department of Justice changed the definition of rape for the Uniform Crime Reporting Program to include either male or female victims or offenders. The definition also includes cases in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity, including due to the influence of drugs or alcohol or because of age.
The number of homicides rose by 12, from 160 to 172, a 7.5 percent increase.
The number of robberies fell 6 percent, from 3,349 to 3,147.
Aggravated assaults also dropped, from 10,155 to 9,834, a 3.2 percent decline.
But the number of other assaults rose by 3.6 percent, from 28,490, to 29,527.
Motor vehicle theft climbed 3.8 percent, from 11,947 to 12,396.
Burglaries fell from 25,673, to 24,769, a 3.5 percent decline.
Larceny rose 2.3 percent, from 98,863 to 101,110.
Statewide, there were 118 arrests for homicide, three more than 2012, a 2.6 percent increase.
