Felony sex offenses up statewide, down in southeast

The Alaska Department of Public Safety says reports of felony sexual offenses are up nearly 20% across the state but are declining in the Southeast region. The Juneau Empire reports the department released its compilation of reported felony sexual offense numbers from 2018 last week. The department says more than 1,762 offenses were reported in 2018. Reports of felony-level sex offenses increased 19.5% in 2018 compared to 2017, while the number of reported victims increased 23.5%. Western Alaska reported the highest rate of offenses statewide, while Southeast Alaska reported the lowest rate.