| | Crime Down Slightly in 2000 For the ninth straight year, serious crime in the United States declined in 2000, according to recently released FBI statistics. Although the total number of serious crimes fell only slightly from 1999 (0.2%), the rate of serious crime per 100,000 population fell 3.3% and is the lowest rate since 1972. Serious crime is defined as murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, auto theft and arson. The number of violent crimes, which includes murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault, dropped 0.1%, with the violent crime rate falling 3.2% to its lowest level in 22 years. While the number of murders remained almost the same, the murder rate fell 3% to its lowest point in 35 years. The statistics were released as part of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports and can be viewed at www.fbi.gov
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