According to new crime statistics, the number of Kentucky violent crimes increased to the highest levels in more than a decade.

The Commonwealth’s violent crime rate of 259.1 cases per 100,000 people last year was the highest since 2008.

The statistics reveal that twenty year old individuals make up the majority of offenders and victims of violent crimes. The majority of those crimes occurred at homes or residences. Two-thirds of victims knew their offender.

The data is presented in the 2020 edition of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual report on Crime in the United States.

Last year, violent crime was up 5.6% and for the first time in four years, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation increased when compared with the previous year’s statistics. Nationwide, the estimated rate of violent crime was 387.8 offenses per 100,000 people.

Conversely, the number of property crimes continued to decrease in Kentucky and the nation; burglaries fell 7.4 %, larceny dropped 10.6 % but vehicle thefts increased 11.8%. Victims of property crimes, not including arson, endured an estimated $17.5 billion in losses last year.