Homicide and other violent crime numbers were down last year in Minnesota for the second year in a row, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s latest Uniform Crime Report.

The 2023 report, issued Friday, shows a general decrease in crimes from homicide to auto theft compared to 2022.

“I think anytime we see a decrease in crime, it’s a good thing,” said James Stuart, executive director of the Minnesota Sheriffs Association.

In the early COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Minnesota experienced record cases of murder, topping out at 201 in 2021. The number fell to 181 in 2023.

Not all numbers are down however. Stuart said one thing he and his team are working on combating is the uptick in assault on law enforcement. He said this year’s increase of 0.9% from 2022 is possibly related to a lack of “civic accountability,” with perpetrators not being held suitably accountable for their actions.

“Hopefully we’ll see these trends of downward crime continue,” Stuart said.

Violent crime in the seven-county Twin Cities Metro Area decreased by 8.2 percent. Violent crime in greater Minnesota decreased by 3.4 percent.

Some of the notable statewide data from the BCA report includes:

There were 9,986 aggravated assaults in 2023, which is 3.4 percent lower than 2022.
There were 2,053 rapes in 2023, a decrease of 11.85 percent.
Motor vehicle theft decreased 6.8 percent in 2023 with 15,612 vehicles stolen as compared to 16,743 in 2022.
Peace officers were assaulted in 961 incidents in 2023, a 0.9 percent increase from 2022.
There were 72,701 incidents of larceny in 2023 – the lowest number in 55 years.
Bias crimes rose in 2023 with 180 incidents reported, compared to 168 in 2022. Both numbers are lower than the peaks reported in 2021 (238) and 2020 (223).
Law enforcement use-of-force incidents involving discharge of a firearm dropped in 2023 to 16, two fewer than in 2022.

St. Paul and Minneapolis

In 2023, the St. Paul Police Department handled 26 total reported homicide incidents compared to the Minneapolis Police Department, which reported 70, according to the BCA.

Reported homicide was down 16.2 percent in St. Paul compared to 2022, while Minneapolis was down 9.1 percent.

Reported carjackings in St. Paul saw an 18.9 percent decrease from 2022, while Minneapolis saw a 42.3 percent decrease.

The full 2023 Uniform Crime Report can be found at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca, along with reports from previous years.

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