Crime, Violent Crime Rate | 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.