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GASTONIA – Recent crime stats show crime across the state is at its lowest point in 30 years. However, in Gaston County, the crime rate was up 3 percent in 2010.

Authorities there say a spike in crimes like rape, aggravated assault and property crimes are to blame. The number of rape cases is up 45 percent, jumping from 12 to 17, but police say one individual is charged with three of them.

Gaston County Police Department Capt. Joseph Ramey says the public should not be alarmed.

"It doesn't reflect the overall crime rate in Gaston County which is down 24 pecent in the past four years,” said Ramey.

Police say a few property crime sprees brought the total number of burglaries for 2010 to 589 from 478 the year prior, which is an additional 111 burglaries committed last year.

"A crime ring involved in motor vehicle thefts in early January to February,” said Ramey. “We had some individuals breaking into a multitude of houses."

Police call many of the offenses crimes of opportunity, convenience or say they may be rooted in drug dependency. They say a handful of individuals commit multiple crimes.

Police say that was the situation in July 2010 when Austen Minter murdered three peopl, including two children, and turned the gun on himself. That one crime accounts for all three murders in Gaston County for 2010.

"We typically see two the three a year,” said Ramey. “An abnormal year for us is five or more.”

The murder rate in Gaston County remains flat with four murders committed in 2004 and three committed in 2010. That's the same number committed so far this year.

Overall, larceny and arsons are down.