BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota saw a record 26 homicides last year, a number that Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem called the “one bleak spot” in the 2019 state crime report released Tuesday.
Stenehjem said 10 of the killings were the result of domestic violence, two of which involved infants, and 10 of the victims were shot to death. There were 17 homicides reported in 2018.
The rest of the report “includes mostly encouraging news on the crime front,” Stenehjem said, noting that the long-term rate of the most serious offenses “appears to have reached a plateau and even declined.” Aggravated assaults, drug offenses, and drunken driving numbers were all down in 2019.
The summary showed a 2.2% drop in the category of crimes against persons, which includes murder, manslaughter, rape and assault. Drug offenses decreased by 6.4% from 2018 to 2019. DUI arrests fell by 6.2%, continuing the downward trend that began in 2015.
The annual report is compiled from information reported by local law enforcement agencies across the state.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.