MANKATO — Crime rates slightly rose in Mankato and North Mankato in 2023 after dipping in 2022, according to recently released data.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s annual uniform crime report showed group A offenses — ranging from arson to identity theft to wire fraud — rose by about 1.9% in Mankato and 4.7% in North Mankato.
Violent crime rates — defined as murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults — were up as well in both cities, largely driven by aggravated assaults. Rates in each city, however, remained low compared to the latest national crime data.
Matt DuRose, acting director of the Mankato Department of Public Safety, described the city as a safe place for him and others to call home.
“Overall we have a safe community,” he said. “We have police officers who are absolutely dedicated and committed to ensuring safety.”
The department recognizes the city has had notable violent crimes in recent years, he added. This included one murder in 2023 and one so far in 2024.
The investigation into the 2023 murder of Buay Duer Juk, 27, remains active.
Emmanuel Lavelle Isaac, 18, has a murder sentencing Sept. 9 in relation to the death of Marcus Romaine Cargill Jr., 19, earlier this year.
DuRose said the department factors in events such as these along with regular data analyses to inform resource allocation decisions.
“We have regular standing meetings in the department to make sure we’re investigating these crimes,” he said.
Mankato and North Mankato’s rises in 2023 came during a year when Minnesota otherwise had a 6.9% decrease in violent crime. The decrease was smaller in Greater Minnesota, down 3.4%, than in the Twin Cities metro, down 8.2%.
Compared to other larger cities in Greater Minnesota, Mankato had a lower crime rate than St. Cloud but a higher crime rate than Rochester and Duluth.
One challenge to the city’s crime rate comes in the form of its age demographics, DuRose said. Population studies in the past found Mankato had the largest proportion of 18- to 24-year-olds in the state, and other studies show they’re the most likely perpetrators and victims of crimes.
Rates of shoplifting, 1,102 per 100,000, were highest among all crime types in Mankato in 2023. DuRose pointed to the city’s status as a regional hub for shopping as a likely contributor to this.
Simple assaults, generally not involving a weapon and not causing serious injuries, accounted for the second highest crime rate in Mankato and the highest rate in North Mankato.
Overall Mankato’s group A crime rate was 7,166 per 100,000 residents in 2023 compared to 6,980 in 2022. The 2023 rate was still below 2021’s 7,602 per 100,000.
North Mankato’s 2023 rate was 3,556 per 100,000, up from 3,082 in 2022 and 3,251 in 2021.
A sample of the 10 most similar cities in size to Mankato showed it had the highest clearance rate for group A offenses at 53.5%. The other cities include Moorhead and nine Twin Cities suburbs, with the next highest clearance rate being Cottage Grove’s 42.3%
Mankato stood out in particular for its 91.8% aggravated assault clearance rate. None of the 10 similar-sized cities cleared 73%, and the other larger Greater Minnesota cities, Rochester and Duluth and St. Cloud, also didn’t approach Mankato’s clearance rate.
Within the data are common themes between the cities when it comes to what cases are most difficult to clear. The highest clearance rate on vandalism/property damage cases, for example, was Mankato’s 19.5%.
The cases often don’t have a witness relaying identifying details to police, DuRose said. Online scams are another tough type of crime for local departments to track down, as the perpetrators are often from out of the state or country.
“Some are much more solvable than others,” DuRose said.