Crime in Idaho dipped in 2022, but new report shows an increase in violent offenses

Nicole Blanchard
·2 min read
1

Idaho State Police released its annual Crime in Idaho report Monday, showing an overall decrease in crime statewide in 2022 from the previous year, but an increase in human trafficking, hate crimes and some violent crimes, including homicide.

The report is a compilation of data supplied by police departments and sheriff’s offices around Idaho.

The data showed a 4.4% drop in the number of “crime incidents” statewide compared with 2021 numbers. Despite that, the report noted an 8.8% increase in violent crimes, including a nearly 15% jump in aggravated assaults. In all, 4,715 violent crimes were reported in Idaho last year.

Homicides hit a five-year high in 2022, with 51 reported across the state.

Officials reported fewer instances of several types of sex crimes, including rape, incest and sexual assault.

Human trafficking saw the largest percentage increase of any crime. In 2021, law enforcement agencies reported just seven human trafficking incidents. In 2022, that number jumped to 36. Data showed the majority of the incidents were commercial sex trafficking cases involving adult women.

Law enforcement agencies also reported slightly more hate crimes in 2022 — 50 incidents, up from 47 in 2021. Hate crimes hit a five-year high in 2020, when 54 were reported.

The majority of the reported hate crimes were intimidation or assault cases, the report showed. Six of the incidents were anti-LGBTQ+, seven were anti-Hispanic or Latino and 20 were anti-Black. Officials also reported one incident each of antisemitic, anti-Islamic and anti-Buddhist crimes.

More than half of these were reported in Boise or elsewhere in Ada County.

Officials in Ada County reported a 9% decrease in overall crimes and a 4% decrease in arrests in 2022. Both were five-year lows for the county, with crime falling steadily from a peak of 13,442 incidents in 2018.

To see the full breakdown of crime statistics and view past years’ reports, visit nibrs.isp.idaho.gov/CrimeInIdaho.