Violent and property crimes in Mountlake Terrace were up slightly in 2012 in most categories in comparison to 2011, according to statistics released by the city’s police department last week.

The crime statistics were part of the 2012 Mountlake Terrace Police Department Update presented to the city council on Feb. 28.

A total of 55 incidents of violent crime were reported in Mountlake Terrace in 2012: 24 aggravated assaults (up from 14 in 2011), 13 robberies (up from 11), and 18 forcible sex offenses (up from 12). The only category of violent crime to see a decrease in 2012 from the previous year was homicide; there were none in the city in 2012, while there was one in 2011.

While violent crime totals were up in 2012, they were still lower than the totals reported in 2010. Police department leadership stressed that the number of reported violent and property crimes in the city are well within normal ranges. “If you look at some of these statistics, it’s important to note we’re pretty static. There’s no huge increases,” said Mountlake Terrace Police Department Commander Doug Hansen.

In property crimes, the biggest increase came in home and business invasion burglaries. In 2012, a total of 153 burglaries were reported in Mountlake Terrace, up from 135 in 2011, and the most reported in the past five years. A decrease in the number of simple assaults occurred in 2012 — a total of 379 — down from 401 in 2011.