Madison has experienced a drop in all but one Uniform Crime Reporting category for the first quarter of 2009, according to statistics released Friday by the Madison Police Department.

The statistics showed decreased numbers of reported murders, forcible rapes, aggravated assaults, burglaries, stolen autos/cycles and robberies in the first quarter of the year in comparison to the 2008 statistics during the same time period.

Reported thefts, however, rose by a 2.9 percent increase.

“I think it’s a mixed bag,” said Joel DeSpain, spokesperson for the MPD. “Certainly looking at burglary, patrol officers are doing a really good job as well as community members at giving direct information, which has an impact on burglary numbers.”

The statistics, according to DeSpain, tell the police department how to best allocate their resources on the street.

Although the city of Madison never incurred many homicides, police are rarely contacted about domestic situations and the city needs to find a way to be better informed about it.

DeSpain also said this year the police have really worked to reduce violence in the downtown area associated with bars and alcohol.

Rachel Strauch-Nelson, spokesperson for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said the statistics showing reduced crime ought to be attributed to Police Chief Noble Wray and the entire MPD.

“I think it is important to note, while it is good news, it is early information, and we need to keep monitoring (crime) and will continue to do so,” Strauch-Nelson said.

They mayor’s office is currently working with the police department, and a collaborative approach is being taken to reduce city crime, Strauch-Nelson added.

“Any time we have favorable UCR numbers, generally the credit goes to police officers in the field, citizens in the community and the coordinated efforts of Command Staff,” Wray said in a statement.

Wray warned, however, that UCR data alone does not completely represent the safety level of Madison.

DeSpain said 2009 crime statistics are likely to see an upward turn, even though Madison has felt the effects of the recession to a lesser extent than other cities.

He added that electronics are an easy target for thieves downtown.

“With the downturn of the economy it is possible to see some crime categories go up,” DeSpain said. “Laptop computers are good items for both burglars and thieves to take. While overall numbers are encouraging, it doesn’t reflect a true sense of where Madison is at.”

Although UCR data is helpful to identify crime trends in the city, it only analyzes certain criminal activity law enforcement agencies are required to supply to the federal government, according to Wray. The data does not, for example, track domestic violence, unreported crime and “quality of life” crimes such as noise complaints, trespassing and speeding.

Considering the positive UCR numbers for the city, Wray said UCR data is more beneficial when analyzed over a long period of time, not just a three-month span.

“Crimes are what they are, but it doesn’t paint a true picture of the city,” DeSpain said.