Fbi, Crime | featured news

The number of violent crimes reported to police decreased 3.8 percent last year to 1.2 million, the fifth straight year of declines, the FBI announced Monday. Meanwhile, the total number of property crimes reported to law enforcement agencies went down by 0.5 percent to 9 million, the ninth consecutive year that figure has fallen. Property crimes resulted in estimated losses of $156.6 billion.

The bureau says that murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault all went down in 2011.

The FBI says that violent crime dropped 6 percent in 2010, marking the fourth straight year of declines. And property crime also was down for the eighth straight year, falling 2.7 percent.

In an age when the biggest cases can often hinge on the smallest pieces of evidence, computer forensics are becoming crucial tools.

Violent crimes in the US fell 5.5% last year, with the biggest drop coming in the South, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Monday. The FBI reported declines in all four categories of violent crime: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault ...

The numbers, continuing a 20-year trend, defy expectations of higher crime during a period of economic problems. The nation's crime rate dropped 5% last year, continuing a 20-year trend that has cut the incidence of major crimes nearly in half, according to FBI statistics .