Police Chief Tim Bellamy adds in the coming months the department is examining restructuring possibilities recommended by the recent Buracker report.

The Greensboro Police Department has released crime statistics comparing the first six months of 2008 with the first six months of 2007. Those numbers show violent crime is up 1.3 percent while property crime increased by 4.6 percent. That means police have investigated 948 cases compared to 936 during the first six months in 2007.

Other numbers have the department seeing a little progress. Non-residential burglaries, auto thefts and the city's murder rate are down.

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But these numbers also show where the department needs to focus its attention. Residential burglaries increased 12.5 percent and rape investigations increased 92.6 percent.

While the majority of sexual assault victims know their attackers, police are seeing a new trend.

“We're also finding that we have, as we call the 'ladies of the night,' the prostitutes out here, sometimes may not get paid for the services that they render and they will file a report for rape also," said Bellamy.

Bellamy adds in the coming months the department is examining restructuring possibilities recommended by the recent Buracker report. That could include the creation of a permanent robbery and burglary suppression unit all in hopes of a lower crime rate.

For the full report from the Greensboro Police Department, click HERE.