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Violent crime was down last year, but murders jumped in small towns

By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 10:53 AM EDT, Mon June 11, 2012
Violent crime dropped nationwide last year, continuing a downward trend of more than a decade, FBI statistics show.
Violent crime dropped nationwide last year, continuing a downward trend of more than a decade, FBI statistics show.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • 2011 Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report uses figures provided by police agencies
  • Violent crime dropped 4% last year, according to the FBI
  • Decrease is part of decade-long decline
  • Murders jumped more than 18% in towns with populations under 10,000

Washington (CNN) -- Violent crime dropped nationwide last year, continuing a downward trend of more than a decade, new FBI statistics show.

But in towns with populations under 10,000, murders saw a big jump.

Overall, violent crime was down 4%, according to the Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report for 2011.

Numbers dropped in all categories nationwide. Murders fell by 1.9%, while rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults declined 4%.

But the figures, provided by police agencies, show that murders jumped 18.3% in small towns of under 10,000.

Property crime decreased slightly in 2011 -- down 0.8% overall.

Burglaries stayed almost even across the country, rising just .03% from the previous year. But they were up 3.2% in the Northeast and 1.3% in the Midwest.

The FBI report does not give reasons for the continuing decline.

CNN's Terry Frieden, Melissa Abbey and Josh Levs contributed to this report.

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