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Portland, OR – Oregon experienced one of the biggest declines in property crimes in the nation last year, according to recently released data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Twenty years ago, 200 of every 10,000 Oregonians were victimized by property-related crimes; today, that number is down to just 77, a decrease of almost 17 percent, just in the past year.
Partnership for Safety and Justice Executive Director David Rogers believes an improving economy and higher minimum wages have combined to give more people new hope.
"The drop means that our efforts to reduce crime through drug and alcohol treatment, early intervention for at-risk youth, and more job opportunities, are clearly working. We're winning the battle against property crime, and that's good news for Oregon."
Property crimes dropped in each of Oregon's three largest cities. Eugene saw the biggest decline, down 18 percent from 2005 to 2006. Portland saw a 15 percent decrease; Salem, an 8 percent decrease.
Rogers says Oregon's property crime rates have gradually been declining since 1987. More information about the FBI crime statistics is available online, at www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006.
