AURORA | Statewide crime data released last week shows that a spike in crime last year was not limited to Aurora, and showed the state’s third-largest city saw a smaller uptick than much of the state.

The scene where a woman was stabbed late last night and later died at a hospital on Monday May 16, 2016 at Burlington Coat Factory. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel

Crime in Colorado climbed about 6 percent in 2015 compared to 2014, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s annual “Crime in Colorado” report.

The report said motor vehicle theft saw the biggest spike with a 27 percent increase.

In Aurora, crime rose 4 percent in 2015.

The CBI report is based on statistics from 245 law enforcement agencies statewide.

The agency said 172 homicides were reported last year, up from 150 in 2014. It said 72 percent of the victims were males, while 77 percent of the offenders were males.

A total of 3,275 rapes were reported last year, compared with 2,961 in 2014.

Robberies rose nearly 10 percent and motor vehicle thefts rose about 28 percent. Burglaries were up about 1 percent.

State officials didn’t offer reasons for the spikes.

“CBI cannot offer analysis as to the reasons for changes in the crime rates or any other interpretation of the data,” the agency said in a statement announcing the data.

Local police and crime experts have long said it is tough to draw conclusions from year-to-year crime statistics.

In Aurora in particular, police officials have warned for years that after several consecutive years that saw crime in Aurora plummet, crime drops were bound to level off or see a spike.

The scene where a woman was stabbed late last night and later died at a hospital on Monday May 16, 2016 at Burlington Coat Factory. Photo by Gabriel Christus/Aurora Sentinel

So far in 2016, crime in Aurora has continued to climb.

Through the end of June, major crime is up 14 percent compared to the same stretch in 2013, according to the department’s mid-year statistics. One of the biggest jumps was in robberies, which are up 41 percent so far in 2016 with 277 compared to 196 during the same stretch last year. Car thefts have also spiked, climbing 26 percent from 602 last year to 763 in 2016.

None of the seven major crimes the FBI tracks are down so far in 2016, but arrests, summonses and traffic tickets are all down compared to last year.

Arrests and summonses were also down in 2015 and police said that while it’s hard to attribute the dip to one single factor, police officials have said the department has stressed the importance of engaging the community, which means patrol officers are spending more time visiting with churches and community groups and also working closely with crime victims.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.