WASHINGTON — The number of crimes involving violence, property and arson dropped in the first half of 2009 compared to the same time last year, according to the FBI’s Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report released Monday.
The FBI said it was the third year in a row crime had declined during that six month stretch.
The latest report, which compares January-June 2009 to the same period in 2008, showed that violent crime dropped 4.4 percent while property crime dropped 6.1 percent and arson declined 8.2 percent.
More specifically, the FBI reported that murders were down 10 percent, rape down 3.3. percent and robberies fell 6.5 percent.
Other highlights were cited in an FBI press release:
* Murder was lower in all four regions of the country, with the largest decreases in the Northeast (13.7 percent) and the West (13.3 percent).
* Motor vehicle thefts decreased significantly in all four regions of the country (Northeast, 19.3 percent; Midwest, 21.4 percent; South, 17.8 percent; and West, 18.2 percent).
* While violent crime and aggravated assault were down in cities of more than 1 million people (7.0 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively), in cities of populations between 10,000 and 24,999, violent crime rose 1.7 percent and aggravated assault rose 3.8 percent.
* While both metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas experienced decreases in violent crime and property crime in general, non-metropolitan counties saw increases in robbery (3.8 percent) and arson (1.2 percent).
* On a regional basis, the only uptick in any crime was a slight increase in burglaries in the South (up 0.7 percent)
