Utah was not insulated from the rise in violent crime.

Of the three cities in the Beehive State with 100,000 or more residents, two reported more violent crimes in 2005 than they did in 2004, states the FBI's 2005 Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report.

Provo reported 181 violent crimes last year, a 16.8 percent increase over 2004, while West Valley City had 516 incidents of violence, a 7.3 percent increase.

Salt Lake City, meanwhile, reported a 3.5 percent decrease in violent crime.

Nationwide, violent crime - murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault - increased 2.5 percent from 2004 to 2005.

It was unclear why the violence increased in Utah.

"I don't know that it really represents anything," said Provo police Capt. Richard Healey. "Things go up, and then they go down."

Provo had two murders in 2000 and none until 2005, when two occurred.

Besides the increase in murders, Provo reported 55 forcible rapes in 2005, an increase of 25 percent, and 107 aggravated assaults, an increase of 13.8 percent.

There were also increases in burglaries and motor-vehicle theft.

Other crime categories - such as property crime, larceny-theft and arson - decreased in Provo.

West Valley City investigated 10 homicides last year - the most the city has ever seen in one year, said police Capt. T. McLachlan. By contrast, there were three homicides in 2004.

The city also reported 327 aggravated assaults, an increase of 25.8 percent, and 86 forcible rapes, an increase of 10.3 percent. There were increases in burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson.

But the city saw 93 robberies, a decrease of 33.6 percent, as well as less property crime and larceny-theft.

In Salt Lake City, there were 1,283 reported instances of violent crime in 2005, with decreases in all the categories except aggravated assault. Property crime, burglary and larceny-theft also declined.

There were increases in motor-vehicle theft and arson.

Salt Lake City police spokeswoman Robin Snyder said she did not know what to attribute the decreases to. The arson numbers were up, partly, because of increased reporting, Snyder said.

Crime tends to have "ups and downs in every single category," she noted.

The FBI's final annual crime report comes out in the fall.

jhill@sltrib.com

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.