Reassuring news from the Maine Department of Public Safety: Crime in Maine increased less than 1 percent in 2008, and robbery, rape, burglary and domestic violence went down.

The department’s annual report offers good evidence that Maine continues to be one of the safest states in the nation.

And, as the report noted, it is especially encouraging to see fewer cases of rape and domestic violence. There were 5,311 domestic violence incidents reported in 2008 versus 5,771 in 2007, a decrease of 8 percent. As for rape, the number of cases declined from 393 to 373 ”“ a drop of 5.1 percent.

Despite the improvement, every case is an individual tragedy. Behind the numbers are many people who have been hurt and wronged.

Reducing the rate of domestic violence is a top goal of many agencies and organizations, but crime statistics give only a limited view of the extent of the extent of the problem.

Though more victims are now coming forward to report such criminal conduct, many victims still remain silent. According to the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, it is estimated that only about half of all assaults are reported to police.

The Maine Department of Public Safety noted the importance of encouraging victims to come forward. “Maine continues to work to reduce this violence against women and victims are more willing to report the crimes,” said Commissioner Anne Jordan.

In another category pertinent to domestic violence, there was a sharp increase. There were 31 homicides in Maine in 2008, the most since 1989, and many of those homicides involved family members. The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence said preliminary reports indicated that about 60 percent of these deaths resulted from domestic violence.

Despite an overall decline in crime, the statistics indicate a continuing need to raise awareness about the violence and threats that are a part of too many relationships.

In a broader look at violent crime, the 2008 statistics show that assaults and aggravated assaults increased for the second year in a row. The number of aggravated assaults, which involve serious injury or the use of a weapon, rose from 793 in 2007 to 813 in 208.

Rural crime is another category that grew in 2008. Crimes in rural districts rose by 6.6 percent, and the crimes of aggravated assault, burglary and car theft rose sharply.

A full report on “Crime in Maine” will be posted on the Department of Public Safety Web site  this summer. In the meantime, the short version is that violent crime affected 1 out of every 1,000 persons in Maine last year ”“ much less than the national average.

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