Cheyenne Crime Drops 20 Percent

A new report from the state Division of Criminal Investigation shows a 20 percent decrease in serious crime for the first three months of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, according to Police Chief Brian Kozak.

The report tracks Index Crimes, which include such violent crimes as murder, rape and aggravated assault, as well as such property crimes as auto theft, burglary and armed robbery. Kozak says he is especially pleased at the report because most communities surrounding Cheyenne actually saw an increase in index crimes over the same period. The report says that for Laramie County outside of Cheyenne, index crimes increased by 28 percent over the same period. Kozak says he doesn't know why the county crime rate increased at the same time the Cheyenne rate was dropping. He does say he thinks an effort to improve the relationship between the police department and the public, including such events as the ''Neighborhood Night Out", probably were a factor in the crime rate drop.