FBI says violent crime is down
Violent crime appears to have declined in 2007 for the first time in three years, with major cities showing the most significant drops, according to a preliminary FBI report.
Bureau officials said that the number of reported violent crimes -- offenses including homicide, robbery and assault -- dipped by 1.4% across the United States last year compared with 2006.
Though cities with more than 1 million residents improved, smaller urban communities such as Baltimore and Atlanta apparently posted a rise in homicides in 2007, the preliminary data showed.
Property crime was also down, with the number of offenses falling 2.1%, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. Arsons, which are tracked separately, fell by 7%.
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