Crime was down significantly in Bellevue during the first half of 2007, according to statistics released this week by the FBI.

With no murder cases, only one traffic fatality and a continued downward trend in property crimes, Bellevue continues to be one of the safest communities in the nation.

"It's really gratifying to see the continued efforts of the Police Department and citizens pay off," said Interim Police Chief Linda Pillo. "The partnerships we've forged throughout the community are an extremely important reason for our success, and will grow increasingly important as we work to meet future challenges."

On Monday the FBI released its preliminary crime statistics for the first six months of 2007.

Five Washington cities with populations over 100,000 were included in the data: Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver and Bellevue.

In Bellevue, violent crime is down from 98 incidents in 2006 to 64 in 2007. This includes murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Property crimes are down from 2,237 in 2006 to 2,073 in 2007. This includes burglary, larceny (theft), motor vehicle theft and arson. The biggest decrease was in arsons, which plummeted 45 percent.

The only category to see an increase for the same time frame in 2007 was motor vehicle theft, rising from 199 incidents to 251. However, a preliminary analysis of the auto theft statistics for the entire year show that by the end of 2007, the motor vehicle theft rate had leveled off and was down approximately 5 percent overall from 2006. This follows a dramatic 17 percent reduction from 2005 to 2006.

Although not part of these crime statistics, nor even necessarily a criminal act, traffic fatalities typically represent the majority of non-medical or natural-cause deaths in Bellevue.

With only two such fatalities in Bellevue in 2006 and one in 2007, the police department's extensive enforcement of traffic laws continues to bear fruit. The numbers are extraordinarily low for a city the size of Bellevue. Cities of comparable size usual expect 15 to 20 fatalities a year.

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