Vandalism and vehicle theft were popular crimes in Birmingham last year, according to the 2011 Annual Crime Report released late last week by the Birmingham Police Department.

The report, which breaks down crime across the city while noting trends in police hiring, also points to a slight decrease in several crime categories — such as larceny and assault — and in the total number of arrests for adults and juveniles.

While incidents of vandalism and vehicle theft took the most notable jump in 2011, Police Chief Don Studt said these figures are consistent with Birmingham crime trends going back three years.

According to Studt, although 103 incidents of vandalism in 2011 is a marked increase from the 83 incidents in 2010, there were 106 vandalism incidents in 2009; the three-year average, according to the report, is 97 per year.

The report also acknowledges an increase in vehicle thefts during the past year — there were 14 in 2011 but only eight in 2010. However Studt said the 14 incidents in 2011 was consistent with thefts in 2009, when 19 cases were reported.

Meanwhile, the Birmingham Police Department experienced a 6.45 percent reduction in the number of sworn officers after two positions in the detective bureau and patrol division were eliminated. There are currently 29 sworn officers in the department (down from 31 in 2010) and eight full-time civilian positions (which remains consistent with previous years).

In total, the report outlines various personnel changes in 2011, including:

• One promotion
• Elimination of one position (corporal)
• Three retirements
• Two resignations
• Nine new hires, including several part-time dispatchers and school crossing guards

Also in the report: The busiest time of year for adult arrests in Birmingham continues to be the warmer months. There were 34 arrests in June 2011, the highest for the year; this is consistent with the department's three-year average for June — 28.3 arrests. October was the slowest month last year, with 11 arrests.

A quick look at crime in Birmingham in 2011

Service calls in 2011

Criminal offenses in 2011, by category

Adult and juvenile arrests in 2011

Adult arrests in 2011, by month

Car accidents in 2011

Parking violations in 2011

All information is provided by the Birmingham Police Department's 2011 Annual Report.