Serious violent crime in Deschutes County last year dropped to the lowest point since 2014, but the number of times people have killed each other over the past three years may be unprecedented.

That’s according to data from three local law enforcement agencies and Deschutes County District Attorney Steve Gunnels.

Since 2021, 24 people have died in 18 separate homicides in Deschutes County. In his three decades as a county prosecutor, Gunnels can’t recall a trend like it.

“Any murder is too many, but the numbers have been consistently high now since 2020,” said Gunnels. “At some point you worry that it’s becoming a trend. I’m hoping that those numbers can return to normal.”

Serious violent crime — defined under Oregon statute Measure 11 — includes homicides, assaults, rape, arson, kidnapping and others.

But the decrease in crime comes despite Deschutes County’s steady population growth over the past decade, according to data from the district attorney’s office. From 2010 to 2022, the county’s population grew from 157,733 people to 209,549 people, according to U.S. Census data.

In Bend, total criminal offenses declined in 2023 to the lowest level since the pandemic began in 2020, according to Bend Police data. And in areas patrolled by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office — Sisters, La Pine and other rural communities — total cases declined to the lowest level since 2019, the data show.

See the data

Bend police data hub

Deschutes County District Attorney data

(The Redmond Police Department has yet to finish combing through its 2023 statistics, Lt. Eric Beckwith said.)

Authorities say the data doesn’t reflect the realities of increased substance abuse in the community, noting that Measure 110 caused drug-crime cases to drop. Measure 110 made most minor drug possession cases a Class E violation, punishable with a $100 fine.

Central Oregon drug cases decline as officials debate Measure 110

Central Oregon drug cases decline as officials debate Measure 110

Still, they say the general decline in crime is positive news.

“We have a safe community here in Deschutes County relative to other communities around the country, by any crime metric,” Gunnels said.

Crimes against property and society rose slightly in Bend last year, but remain below pre-pandemic levels, according to Bend Police data.

Chief Mike Krantz echoed the sentiment that the city remains a safe place, pointing out that although Bend’s population continues to grow, crime is not increasing at the same rate. The city’s population grew from 76,639 people in 2010 to 103,254 people in 2022, according to U.S. Census data.

“When you look at it, that’s a really good thing,” he said.

Krantz said that the numbers contrast a general feeling that Bend is becoming unsafe, which he attributed to information spreading rapidly through media and high-profile homicide cases that draw widespread attention and concern.

Crimes against people rose in Bend last year as overall rate dropped, police say

Crimes against people rose in Bend last year as overall rate dropped, police say

Krantz also noted that Bend Police are taking fewer overall calls for service than pre-pandemic levels, with 77,930 last year compared to 98,121 in 2019.

Krantz says the crisis response team — which involves mental health professionals, rather than police, responding to help people in crisis — has resulted in police responding to fewer mental health calls. And a new system that sends alarm calls to a company for verification has police responding to fewer false calls.

Still, Krantz said police are spending too much of their time responding to community concerns around abandoned vehicles and “unwanted subjects” — people who, for some reason, prompt someone to call 911 to complain about their presence.

Last year, police received more than 3,400 calls about abandoned vehicles, data show. Police received nearly 3,900 calls for unwanted subjects. Some, but not all, involve people who are trespassing, Krantz said.

“We have to be careful that we’re not just a resource for moving people along,” said Krantz.

Gunnels says the number of homicides is his top concern.

Eight people died in shootings. Seven died in car crashes. Five died of blunt force trauma or asphyxiation. Two died in stabbings. One was fatally mauled by dogs, and police have yet to disclose how one woman died.

Since 2022, no one has been charged or arrested in the deaths of two of these people: Leonard Peverieri, 70, who was shot and killed in the driveway of his home on Los Serranos Drive in Bend on Oct. 9, 2022, and Evelyn Weaver, 28, who police found in her Bend home on NW Hill Street on July 18, 2023.

‘Someone has got to know something’; Before killing, Bend real estate investor had it all

‘Someone has got to know something’; Before killing, Bend real estate investor had it all

Their homicides remain under investigation, authorities say. Law enforcement officials have declined to say how Weaver died.

Among the homicides, many of those accused or convicted have struggled with mental illness or addiction, Gunnels said. He noted that throughout his career, Deschutes County has generally reported a few homicides annually — or none at all.

“The numbers we’ve seen since 2020 have been in excess of that norm, which is disturbing,” said Gunnels, who added: “You have innocent people who were killed and that’s where the tragedy is.”

Homicides drive fears in Deschutes County while reported violent crimes remain low