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On Thursday, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Police Chief Teresa Ewins reported the city’s crime statistics for 2021.
Mayor Gaylor Baird said Lincoln continues to have a low crime rate.
"And we have seen significant decreases in violent crime in our community over the past year, which is good news for our city and all the people who call Lincoln home," she said.
Violent crimes including murder, aggravated assault, rape and robbery dropped by 15 percent compared to 2020. However, Police Chief Teresa Ewins said catalytic converter thefts shot up by 257 percent. Lincoln citizens lost over a million dollars in damages.
"And that's how bad it is right now," Ewins said. "From my experience, people also start not calling the police because of these crimes, because it is in the news all the time. And they're like, 'Why should I call the police? It's always happening.' So it's very important that people call and tell us that they're victims."
Auto thefts are also up by about 60 percent. The Lincoln Police Department hopes to bring that down by 10 percent this year.
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