Ventura Police release 2012 crime statistics

Annual crime reports are coming out and the results are mixed.

In the city of Ventura overall crime rose in 2012, but the number of violent crimes dropped by 5 percent. There was one murder in Ventura last year, the same number as the two previous years. Auto thefts saw the biggest rise, up by 45 percent.

Property crimes rose by 17 percent..

Officers said budget cuts and the early release of state inmates made crime fighting more difficult.

For more information about crime in Ventura, log on to: www.venturapd.org