Bibb County Crime Rose 5 Percent in 2011 | Crime

Crime in Bibb County rose 5 percent last year.

That's according to a news release from the sheriff's department.

They say some categories were down, including aggravated assaults, armed robberies and both commercial and home burglaries.

The increase was largely due to a big 19 percent jump in thefts. There were more than 171 more thefts last year than in 2010.

And the sheriff's department says that's mainly due to rising prices that caused more thefts of copper and other types of metal.

They say those thefts dropped later in the year after deputies arrested dozens of people on metal-theft charges.

The report covers crime in Bibb County's unincorporated areas; Macon police have not released their crime figures for 2011.