Reports of serious crime in St. Paul dropped in 2014, marking one of the lowest levels of crime in recent years, according to data released by police Wednesday.
Murder, robbery, aggravated assault and other "Part 1" crimes dropped more than 6 percent last year, compared with 2013. Some of the biggest declines in crime categories were in homicide, residential burglary and rape.
For instance, St. Paul had 11 homicides in 2014, not including justifiable shootings by police; in 2013, there were 14. There were 181 rapes last year, compared with 218 in 2013.
Although serious crime was down overall, some categories of major crime saw an uptick. Auto thefts rose by 14 percent, and commercial burglaries by 10 percent.
St. Paul Police Chief Thomas Smith attributed the drops in serious crime to several factors, including the department's use of social media to connect with residents, community policing efforts and youth-related work.
Police districts regularly update their Facebook pages with crime statistics and alerts, and departmental spokesmen maintain a Twitter account.
Last year, officers knocked on residents' doors and engaged with neighbors at weekly community barbecues through the department's Safe Summer Night project. Along with community nonprofits, police helped launch a curfew center on the East Side.
Police also worked closely with community ambassadors, who interacted with youths throughout the city. Serious crime involving juveniles decreased 63 percent in areas when ambassadors were out patrolling the streets, Smith said.
