Violent crime has risen in cities across the nation. What about rural areas?

According to the Uniform Crime Report released last month by the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the number of reported violent crimes in Minnesota last year went up by 17 percent over the previous year. That includes a record high number of homicides. 

Much of those numbers are driven by rising crime in larger cities, a trend mirrored by other larger cities around the country. 

However, some suburban communities are also experiencing upticks in certain kinds of crime. Recently the police chiefs of Crystal, Maple Grove, Plymouth, and New Hope told FOX-9 TV that this year, they’re seeing a level of violence they haven’t seen before. 

Guest host Brandt Williams talked with two criminologists and a public policy expert about how crime trends are impacting Minnesota's smaller towns and communities. They explored domestic violence, gun violence, addiction, and policing in exurban and rural areas.

Guests:

• Ralph Weisheit is a distinguished professor of criminal justice at Illinois State University

• Walter DeKeseredy is director of the Research Center on Violence and a professor of sociology at West Virginia University

• Julie Tesch is president & CEO of the Center for Rural Policy & Development

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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