MOSES LAKE - Crime rates have for the most part declined in Moses Lake over the past three years, according to numbers released by the city in November.

Moses Lake Police Chief Dean Mitchell shared the 2011 statistics with the Moses Lake City Council, comparing them with crime rates from 2009/10 made available by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

Incidents of rape, robbery, assault, vehicle theft and burglary all dropped since 2009, some dramatically, but Mitchell cautioned council members not to make too much of the good news.

"I learned a long time ago that you don't take credit when your crime stats go down because there's a lot of variables involved," Mitchell. "We cannot prevent crime in Moses Lake but we can do things to deter crime, and that's one thing we've focused on this last year."

From the start of 2011 to the end of October there were 204 burglaries, 54 vehicle thefts, 28 assaults, 16 robberies, four rapes and one homicide in Moses Lake, according to Mitchell.

The two prior years saw higher numbers for all of these offenses, with the exception of homicide.

In 2009 there were 275 burglaries, 99 vehicle thefts, 54 assaults, 21 robberies and 23 rapes. In 2010 there were 297 burglaries, 85 vehicle thefts, 52 assaults, 18 robberies and 13 rapes.

Mitchell said police have focused on maintaining a "more visible presence" and following up on all investigations.

"Some of our efforts are starting to pay off," he said. "The statistics show the results."