Bellevue continues to be a very safe city, with the lowest per capita violent and property crime rate among the state’s 10 largest cities, City Manager Steve Sarkozy told the City Council on Monday.

Sarkozy noted that statistics recently released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation show that while the total number of violent crimes increased from 138 in 2007 to 168 in 2008, the number remained low for a city the size of Bellevue. The fifth largest city in the state, Bellevue experienced no homicides for the second year in a row in 2008.

The FBI’s 2008 property crime statistics showed burglary incidents in Bellevue increased from 583 in 2007 to 687 in 2008. However, motor vehicle thefts continued to decrease, from 446 in 2007 to 275 in 2008. Motor vehicle thefts have decreased for five consecutive years.

The city’s own statistics show that since 1996, the overall number of major crimes has trended downward despite Bellevue’s population growth.