Report: County crime dropped in 2020
KAYE THORNBRUGH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 2 months AGO
Kaye Thornbrugh is a second-generation Kootenai County resident who has been with the Coeur d’Alene Press for six years. She primarily covers Kootenai County’s government, as well as law enforcement, the legal system and North Idaho College. | July 7, 2021 1:00 AM
COEUR d’ALENE — Crime in Kootenai County dropped in 2020, according to Idaho State Police’s annual crime report.
Overall, crime fell 22.94% between 2019 and 2020, the report said, with about 35% fewer arrests. However, Kootenai County’s figures do not include data from the Post Falls and Rathdrum police departments.
Statewide, crime fell about 2.7% overall. Violent crimes increased by 7.94% and hate crimes jumped by about 42% compared to the year before.
Kootenai County’s overall crime rate has continued to trend down in recent years, with arrests dropping from about 7,500 in 2016 to about 6,000 in 2020.
Still, the county’s crime rate is one of the highest in the state.
A crime rate describes the number of crimes reported to law enforcement agencies per 100,000 total population.
The crime rate in Kootenai County is 4,877 per 100,000 — No. 8 overall, between Nez Perce and Canyon counties. It was ranked ninth overall in 2019.
A murder occurs someplace in Idaho every 9.4 days, according to the ISP report.
Kootenai County’s murder rate jumped by 50% in 2020, with three killings reported. Just two murders were reported in Kootenai County in 2019.
The number of sex crimes and kidnappings reported in 2020 was on par with 2019, while theft and burglary reports dropped.
Almost 400 fewer drug-related offenses were reported throughout Kootenai County last year than in 2019. Drug equipment violations also dropped by nearly 450.
There were 54 hate crimes reported throughout the state, a 42.11% increase from 2019.
Idaho’s malicious harassment law defines a hate crime as a criminal offense committed against a person or property that is motivated by the offender’s bias against a race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, orientation or disability.
Most of the offenses reported in 2020 involved intimidation, simple assault or destruction of property. Two resulted in broken bones, according to ISP statistics.
In 2020, eight hate crimes were reported in North Idaho — six in Kootenai County, one in Shoshone County and one in Benewah County.
To review the full report, as well as reports from previous years, visit nibrs.isp.idaho.gov/CrimeInIdaho.
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