Prostitution and burglary were down, while murder and kidnapping were up.
Those are just a sampling of statistics released Monday by the TBI in its 2015 report titled Crime in Tennessee.
Among notable items, murders in Tennessee were up 9.4 percent with a reported 406 people being killed in 2015. Kidnapping/ abductions were up 21.6 percent with 1,504 reported throughout the state.
In other violent offenses, forcible rape was up 2.4 percent, while weapon law violations increased 2.1 percent.
However, not all serious crimes were up as the TBI reports a 14.1 percent reduction in prostitution offenses, and a 7.4 percent drop in burglaries. There was also a 2.3 percent decrease in drug/ narcotic charges.
One eye-opening subcategory of drug/ narcotic arrests is heroin. The TBI notes there has been a 450 percent increase in heroin-related arrests from December 2010 to December 2015. TBI director Mark Gwyn has made sure to emphasize the explosive heroin problem during two recent talks in McMinnville.
Despite the number of meth labs dropping in Warren County, meth usage has climbed for two straight years in Tennessee. There were 6,276 meth offenses reported in 2015, a 56 percent increase in just two years.
Of all crimes, 60.3 percent were against property. The three most popular, in order, were vandalism, burglary, and theft/ shoplifting.
The remaining 39.7 percent of crimes were against people. The three most popular were simple assault, aggravated assault, and intimidation.
Criminals apparently don’t like the chill of winter as February was the lowest month for crime (32,471 offenses), followed by January.
Warm weather and criminals are a more popular combination as July was the busiest month for crime (48,050 offenses), followed closely by August.
When it comes to time of day, most crimes are committed between 3 and 6 p.m., while you’re the safest between 3 and 6 a.m.
Breaking down demographics, people age 25-34 are the most victimized by crime at 23.9 percent. Those under 18 are least victimized at 7.1 percent.
The TBI analyzes data submitted by law enforcement agencies, as well as colleges and universities throughout the state, in compiling its report. Sheriff’s departments in Van Buren and Cannon counties were among 13 law enforcement agencies in Tennessee listed as having incomplete data.
Said TBI director Mark Gwyn, “The TBI remains committed to this effort and will continue to provide the training and technical assistance necessary to collect the most accurate and comprehensive crime statistics for Tennessee and its citizens.”
The report lists Tennessee’s population at an estimated 6.54 million. There were 528,894 reported crimes in Tennessee in 2015.