APPLETON, WI -- When you take a glance at the latest figures from the Appleton Police Department, you'll see what appears to be a shocking spike in cases of forcible rape in 2015.
The numbers, released by police this week, show a 160% increase in rape cases when compared to numbers from 2014.
Hearing that figure is downright frightening for many we spoke with on the streets of Appleton tonight.
But police stress, since 2011, rape offenses have actually been seeing a downward trend.
For many Appleton residents, hearing there's been any sort of jump in rape cases in the city is alarming.
"It's alarming, for sure," says Jodi Wilhelm, walking with her friend Kelly White downtown, "yeah, a little unsettling."
"Appleton is one of Wisconsin's best kept secrets," says White, "but hearing something like that is a little bit alarming."
But Sgt. David Lund of the Appleton Police says 2014's exceptionally low rape offense numbers is partly to blame for the spike.
"Statistically, we have some pretty low numbers when it comes to serious crime to start with," says Lund.
While 2015 had 26 cases of forcible rape reported in Appleton, 2014 had a 5-year record low 10 cases. Since 2011, Lund says the numbers have actually been dropping.
"We don't look really at things on a year-by-year basis," says Lund. "We try to look at things at a long-term basis to see where the trends are. We hope to see them continue to go down, but we understand that there's going to be a fluctuation," he adds. "Some of that depends simply on the individuals that are committing the crimes in our community."
As far as trends, Lund says the rape cases vary, and aren't solely stranger-on-stranger offenses.
"Two teenagers who are not of age to give consent," lists Lund as an example, "incest, a date rape situation."
While they're still unsettling situations, Lund says they shouldn't deter one's feeling of safety in Appleton.
"I don't feel unsafe living in Appleton," adds Wilhelm, confidently.
Police urge: the best way to avoid becoming a victim is to stay vigilant. Lund says know your surroundings, and pay attention to your belongings, and those around you.
Appleton police say other crimes, such as robbery, and aggravated assault, were down in 2015. However, driving under the influence was up last year by seven percent.
