Murders, rapes and other violent crimes dropped sharply in the United States in the first six months of 2011, continuing a downward trend that has lasted 4 1/2 years, the FBI reported.
Preliminary January-through-June figures showed the number of violent crimes declined 6.4 percent from the previous year, led by a 5.7-percent drop in murders and a 5.1-percent decrease in rapes. The number of robberies declined 7.7 percent while aggravated assaults fell 5.9 percent.