Aggravated assaults increased in Beltrami County, Bemidji

BEMIDJI—Throughout Minnesota, violent crimes are on a steady decrease—albeit minute—according to a study released Wednesday. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension 2014 Uniform Crime Report shows a 0.1 percent decrease in violent crimes that include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and human trafficking.

Beltrami County saw a decrease in most violent crime categories, however aggravated assaults increased by 61 percent—accounting for 1 percent of the state's recorded incidents. Statewide, there were 6,607 aggravated assaults—including 76 reported in Beltrami County—of which 41 occurred in Bemidji.

"The unfortunate part about all these statistics is crime rate is based on population," said Bemidji Police Chief Mike Mastin. "Bemidji's identified population is just shy of 14,000, in reality we are a far bigger city than that. We are truly a regional center, and our reflective population is much higher."

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/3777955-aggravated-assaults-increased-beltrami-county-bemidji