Carlsbad officials are noting decreases in overall crime in the city based on the Sept. 9 release of mid-year statistics from the San Diego Association of Governments.

Carlsbad’s specific trends match an overall countywide drop in crime, according to SANDAG’s breakdown and a follow-up statement from the Carlsbad Police Department.

Although arsons increased 21 percent in the county in the first half of this year, property crime dropped by 13 percent and violent crime decreased by 1 percent compared with the same period last year.

SANDAG noted that Del Mar saw a 37 percent drop in property crime. Overall, 16 of the 19 jurisdictions covered in the report saw decreases in property crime, SANDAG stated. The drop represents a reversal of mid-year 2013 numbers, which noted a 5 percent increase in property crime.

“There are many theories as to why we are experiencing historic drops in crime,” Cynthia Burke, SANDAG’s criminal justice research director, said in the organization’s Sept. 9 announcement. “The local law enforcement officials we’ve talked to attribute some of the decreases in property crime to factors such as proactive supervision of ex-offenders, the use of forensic technology to identify serial criminals, and cross-jurisdictional sharing of intelligence to combat crime trends.”

For Carlsbad, when compared with 2013 statistics, the city showed decreases in several categories, according to the city’s own announcement.

The city noted a 16 percent decrease in the property crime rate, a 15 percent decrease in the FBI Index Crime Rate and a 4 percent decrease in violent crime, the city reported.

Decreases were also seen in every crime category except homicide, according to the city. While Carlsbad recorded no cases in 2013, one case had been reported by mid-year 2014.

Countywide, there have been increases in certain crimes over 2013.

According to SANDAG’s assessment, rapes and incidents of domestic violence are on the rise. Rapes across the region increased to 376 in the first half of this year, up 20 percent from 314 at mid-year 2013, according to its report. Law enforcement agencies reported 8,331 domestic violence incidents in the first half of this year, as well, an increase of 4 percent from the same time period last year.

The San Diego Association of Governments has been tracking such statistics in the county in conjunction with law enforcement agencies since 1980, according to its report.

The full report can be found online at www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1879_18100.pdf.