Driven by a spike in robberies, Stamford saw a 10.8 percent increase in violent crime last year when compared to 2010, according to preliminary data from the FBI's uniform crime reports.
Stamford police officials say despite the increase, the city remains one of the safest for its size in the region.
Stamford's increase in violent crime went against a national trend in which murders, robberies, aggravated assaults and rapes dipped last year by 4 percent, compared to numbers from 2010, the FBI reported.
Stamford, however, bucked the national trend and witnessed an increase from 351 violent crimes in 2010 to 389 last year, and slightly more property crimes.
Matheny said the increase in violent crimes amounted to one more incident every 10 days for patrol officers and investigators compared to the year before.
The Stamford Police Department will continue to endeavor to keep the city a safe, vibrant and growing community.
Michael Walker, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City who helps oversee how the FBI gathers its crime statistics, links most violent crime increases to cities with gang problems and an active drug trade.
A day later, police arrested Oscar Jeronimo, of 144 Jefferson St., and accused him of stabbing 40-year-old Jorge Herrera-Lopez in the heart during an early morning fight outside the Manhattan Club Cafe.
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