Overall crime in Evanston increased 4.9 percent in the past year due primarily to a surge in thefts, according to an Evanston Police Department news release.

The city released the first part of its 2017 crime statistics — which includes offenses such as homicide, assault and theft — on Thursday. Police said there was a 12.1 percent increase in theft from 2016 to 2017.

Theft includes retail theft, items taken from unlocked vehicles and packages stolen from the common areas of buildings or outside residences, according to the release. Police said about 193 of the thefts were from unlocked vehicles.

Robberies were the only other crime that increased over the last year in this batch of the statistics. There were 40 robberies in 2017 after 38 in 2016.

Burglary and motor vehicle theft were two targets for police after both offenses became more frequent in 2016, according to the release. The department’s deployment strategies led to a 13.7 percent decrease in each offense, respectively.

There was also a 7.1 percent reduction in aggravated batteries and assaults, meaning there were fewer victims of gun violence in 2017 than 2016, according to the release.

Police plan to release the second part of the crime statistics, which includes vandalism and disorderly conduct, on Friday.

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