BAY MINETTE, Ala. — New crime statistics indicate that Bay Minette is a safer place than it used to be.

According to the Bay Minette Police Department, Bay Minette’s crime rate dropped an average of 13 percent from 2009.

But that’s not the only rate to fall. Bay Minette’s robberies have decreased by 64 percent, according to the police department. That’s an even bigger improvement than the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department’s figures, which show robbery to be down 57 percent, or the statewide decrease of 24 percent, as reported by the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center.

In addition, last year Bay Minette saw a  67-percent decrease in buying and receiving stolen property, a 50-percent decrease in non-force sex offense, a 48-percent decrease in narcotics violations, a 26-percent decrease in vandalism and criminal mischief and a 14-percent decrease in felony assaults, according to a Bay Minette Police Department January-December 2009-10 reportable-crimes comparison report.

According to Baldwin County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Maj. Anthony Lowery, county crime was mixed in 2010, with automobile thefts dropping by 12.5 and nine fewer shootings, but three more stabbings did occur.

“The public has done a good job of reporting it, and we’ve been able to get some repeat offenders off the streets,” he said in an interview.

Though by a small percentage, the sheriff's office and city police found an increase in breaking and entering a vehicle by 14 percent and 5 percent, respectively, from 2009.