As the 2007 crime report is being tallied, officials say violence is more prevalent but they don’t expect the statistics to show a dramatic increase in crime.
Max Schlueter is director of the Vermont Crime Information Center. He says he is hearing from police that the seriousness of some drug and violent crimes is increasing.
Montpelier Police Chief Anthony Facos says an alarming trend is a rise in assaults on police officers. He says nine officers were assaulted in Montpelier last year.
Facos is also concerned about a number of violent drug crimes involving teenagers in the city last year.
But officials don’t expect the state statistics to show a dramatic jump in crime like in 2006.
In that year, overall crime rose by about 6 percent, with disturbing increases in robberies and drug crimes.