Murder numbers spike across the state

A new report shows that overall violent crime went down across Oklahoma in 2011.

Murder is the one area of violent crime with a big increase, up 15 percent.

The research comes from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation after collecting the numbers by 319 law enforcement agencies all over the state.

The reports show overall violent crime rate went down 1.6 percent.

OSBI Agent Rodney Eaton says the research will help law enforcement figure out where to put their manpower.

Eaton says, “The administrators of the department can look at the raw data and it helps them make decisions on staffing, manpower issues.”

He says the study not only helps them fight crime, it is also required to get federal funding.

“One of the requirements of the grant is that they report their statistics.”

The federal bureau will release nationwide report either this week or next week.