Not currently in hot pursuit.

The number of serious incidents fell to just over 2,000 in 2013, a 12.7 percent dip from the year before, and a 30 percent plunge from 2003.

Eau Claire’s a safe city – a really safe city – and it’s getting even safer, according to new statistics from the Eau Claire Police Department. In fact, judging by the numbers, Eau Claire hasn’t been this safe since disco ruled the charts with an iron bell-bottom, Apocalypse Now was in the theaters, and Americans were just learning who Ayatollah Khomeini was. If you can’t quite pin down the year from those clever clues, 35 years ago – 1979 – was the last time Eau Claire’s crime stats were this low. The number of serious incidents fell to just over 2,000 in 2013, a 12.7 percent dip from the year before, and a 30 percent plunge from 2003. What’s the secret? Police Chief Jerry Staniszewski points out that the decrease reflects national trends (although it’s important to note that we’re among the safest metro areas in the country). He also tips his hat to dedicated officers, “innovative policing philosophies and strategies,” and good citizens (that’s us, folks) who recognize that “crime prevention is not a spectator sport.” The numbers are compiled based on the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting standards and include what are known as “Part I” crimes: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, car theft, and arson. There was only one murder in Eau Claire last year, versus four in 2012, and nearly every other class of crime became less common as well – totals fell or stayed flat in all but six of 41 subcategories, from burglary to bike theft. In short, Eau Claire may not be a utopia, but it’s inching closer.

For the official report, which contains more numbers than you can shake a billy club at, go to www.eauclairewi.gov/PDAR.