Most Violent Crimes Drop 9% in ‘01, U.S. Says

The number of people who were victims of violent crime excluding murder fell by 9% in 2001, sending the crime rate to its lowest level since it was first tracked in 1973, the government reported.

The decline was primarily because of a record low number of reported assaults, the most common form of violent crime.

The drop is detailed in the 2001 National Crime Victimization Survey, which is based on interviews with victims and therefore does not include murder.

Preliminary figures from another FBI report taken from more than 17,000 city, county and state law enforcement agencies and released in June reflected an increase in murder of 3.1%.