NEW BERLIN —
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The total number of reported crimes in Pennsylvania fell by less than 1 percent last year, to just over 927,000, the state police announced Tuesday.
The Uniform Crime Reporting System figures for 2011 showed murders fell from 653 to 638, a drop that was accompanied by an overall decrease in violent crime, which reached its the lowest level since 2003.
On the other hand, burglary, larceny and theft increased, part of an overall 2.6 percent jump in property crimes. Arsons were down nearly 13 percent.
Assaults on police officers fell by more than 18 percent, to a total of nearly 2,500.
Arrests for driving under the influence were down 1.5 percent to nearly 52,000. More than three out of four of those DUI arrests were male suspects.
Violent crime, a category that includes murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault, fell from 46,363 in 2010 to 45,967.
Vandalism fell by 7.4 percent to just under 100,000 incidents, while drug crimes were down fractionally, to about 52,000.
The reporting system draws together crime numbers collected from law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
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