FBI reports nationwide crime drop in 2010

WASHINGTON, May 23 (UPI) -- Serious crime, against people and property alike, dropped across the United States last year, the FBI reported Monday.

The bureau's 2010 Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report shows reported violent crime down 5.5 percent and property crimes falling 2.8 percent from 2009.

The report, drawing on data from 13,007 law enforcement agencies, covers murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.

Murder dropped 4.4 percent, rape by 4.2 percent, robbery by 9.5 percent and aggravated assault by 3.6 percent.

Violent crime fell in all regions, with the sharpest decline in the South (7.5 percent), followed by the Midwest (5.9 percent), the West (5.8 percent) and the Northeast (0.4 percent). Property crime was down 3.8 percent in the South, 2.7 percent in the Midwest, 2.5 percent in the West, and 0.5 percent in the Northeast.

Among property crimes, arson fell 8.3 percent nationally, vehicle theft by 7.2 percent, larceny-theft 2.8 percent and burglary 1.1 percent.

Some categories did have increases, however.

In the Northeast, murder was up 8.3 percent, rape up 1.4 percent, aggravated assault 0.7 percent and burglary 3.5 percent.

Cities with 250,000 to 499,999 people reported a 3 percent rise in murder.