AUTO THEFT SOARS IN SPRINGFIELD

Motor-vehicle thefts in Springfield nearly doubled in the first three months of 2007, when compared to the same period last year.

Police say 249 motor-vehicle thefts were reported for the first quarter of this year -- a 99.2-percent jump from the 125 auto-theft reports filed between January and March 2006.

Other facts from the report, released Monday:

•Aggravated assaults are on the rise, and police are solving fewer of those cases. Aggravated assaults rose 30 percent (130 to 169) while clearance rates dropped by nearly 25 percent (74 to 56).

•Robbery is a much more common crime in Springfield, up nearly 43 percent in the first quarter (56 to 80).

•For every 100 crime cases in Springfield, about 23 are cleared. It's more likely that police will solve a crime against a person (31.8%) than a crime against property (22.1%).

The most common crime? Theft. More than 2,500 larcenies and/or thefts were reported to police in the first three months of 2007.