Violence in Dallas and the U.S. increased last year, but crime is still at historic lows, FBI report says

Violent crime was up about 10 percent in Dallas last year, outpacing a national increase, according to national data released Monday.

Property crimes, down nationally for years, also decreased slightly in Dallas between 2015 and 2016, according to the FBI's annual report on crime statistics.

Violent crime increased by 4.1 percent and property crimes  decreased by 1.3 percent across the country between 2015 and 2016, according to the report. In Dallas, violent crime increased by about 9.8 percent and property crimes decreased by about 1.2 percent.

But experts warn it's too soon to say whether  the increase in violent crime constitutes a trend.

Crime across the country and in Dallas is still low compared to the 1980s and 1990s. About 20,000 people were killed across the U.S. in 1995. About 16,500 people were slain last year. The U.S. population grew more than 20 percent during that time.

The FBI's 2016 tally includes several high-profile killings -- including the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, where 49 people were killed, and the Dallas ambush, when a lone gunman killed 5 police officers protecting protesters downtown.

Property crime in the country, however, decreased for the 14th straight year, the FBI noted in its report.

Adam Gelb, who directs the Pew Charitable Trusts' Public Performance Project, said during a conference call about the FBI report that it is pretty common for crime statistics to become a "political football" after they are released.

The FBI data relies on reports of crimes made to law enforcement authorities; it doesn't account for any crimes that go unreported.

The U.S. Department of Justice is set to release a separate crime report that Gelb hopes will help provide a clearer snapshot of crimes in the country.

"It's important, as we sift through this, to understand whether or not this is a real increase," Gelb said. "Is it a big increase, is it a spike, is it a surge or is it more of an uptick?"

In Dallas, hundreds of police officers have either retired or left for other jobs, forcing the department to rethink how it operates.

There have been fewer homicides and sexual assaults so far this year, but aggravated assaults and business burglaries have spiked compared to last year.

Dallas police Chief U. Renee Hall, who started the job earlier this month, has said she wants the police department and the communities it serves to work together to cut crime. At a public safety committee meeting earlier this month, the chief announced that she intends to create citizen advisory boards so people can have input on changes at the police department.

"We do know that we can do better," Hall said, "but we are encouraged that even with the diminished manpower, we are still making strides."

Update at 6:40 p.m.: Figures have been updated to reflect changes in population that were not accounted for in data provided by Dallas police.