Sheriff's Deputy Eugene Rush patrols Superior Township in this file photo.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Property crime dropped 4.6 percent nationwide in 2009, but rose 8.9 percent in the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department’s jurisdiction, according to the FBI's annual crime report released today.

However, during the same period, violent crime reported to the sheriff’s department decreased 13.3 percent, beating out the 5.3 percent decline nationally.

The Ann Arbor Police Department saw declines in both categories, as violent crime fell 8.5 percent and property crime dropped 5.5 percent, statistics show.

Aggravated assaults were down 16.2 percent in the sheriff's department jurisdiction and 10.2 percent in the city.

Ann Arbor Police Chief Barnett Jones said he hasn't reviewed the statistics, but credits "great citizen participation” with reducing crime. Citizens and business owners are taking steps to protect against property crime and are calling in suspicious activity to police, he said. 

Jones said he'd like to see "zeroes" in each category because there is a victim behind every crime.

Contributing to the increase in property crime in the sheriff's department jurisdiction is a 14.2 percent increase in reported burglaries in 2009 over the prior year.

Sheriff Jerry Clayton said he hasn't reviewed the statistics, but said some of the "uptick might be attributable to the economy.”

The department expects to see future reductions in violent crime and property crime by maintaining relationships with the community, he said.

“Everybody is involved with improving the quality of life,” he said.

For instance, he cited a recent program in the West Willow neighborhood in Ypsilanti Township where citizens and deputies patrol the streets together.

Sheriff's department spokesman Derrick Jackson said department statistics show reported home invasions are down 14.6 percent this year compared to same period in 2009.

The department has been using its e-mail alert system and Facebook to build a network of more than 7,000 residents that investigators can notify when crimes are committed, he said.

Here’s a look at the 2009 FBI statistics: