Manteca crime rose in the first quarter - led by a 145 percent surge in aggravated assaults that includes drive-by shootings.

Manteca Police crime statics for January, February, and March show a 3.84 percent jump in all felonies and a 4.91 percent rise in misdemeanors.

It is the Part One crimes - so called because they involve threats against people or major property crimes - that are used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a yardstick for the relative safety of a community.

Crime in Manteca had been trending downward since 2008 until last year when small increases started to occur.

The aggravated assaults for the first quarter hit 27 up from 11 in the previous year. Manteca in an eight day period ending Saturday had four drive-by shootings. Those will be reflected in the second quarter crime statistics.

Among other felonies trending upwards in the first quarter compared to the same three-month period in 2011 were a:

•16.18 percent increase in vehicle theft going from 68 to 79.

•25 percent rise in robbery going from 12 to 15.

•19.35 percent in commercial burglary (mostly shoplifting) going from 31 to 37.

•75 percent increase in arson going from 4 to 7.

Manteca recorded reductions in the crime rate for several felony categories including a:

•50 percent drop in rape and unlawful intercourse going from 4 to 2.

•10.67 percent drop in residential burglary going from 75 to 67.

•3.57 percent drop in auto burglary going from 140 to 135.

•30.56 percent drop in grand theft going from 35 to 25.

Misdemeanor thefts were up 13.71 percent going from 197 to 224.

Some $1,130,442 worth of property was stolen in the first quarter down 15.36 percent from 2011. Of that police have recovered 29.55 percent or $342,810 worth of stolen property.

Arrests are down 8.87 percent going from 710 to 647.

Pursuits are up 75 percent going from 4 to 7 while the use of force - police discharging a weapon such as a gun or taser or using other less than lethal equipment - has remained the same at four incidents.