[JURIST] An FBI report on US crime [PDF] released Monday found that while murders in the US fell for the first time in five years, 2004 saw an increase in the number of rapes. Overall the number of violent crimes fell by 1.2 percent and property crimes dropped 1.1 percent. The 350 fewer murders in 2004 compared to 2003 included a drop of 150 fewer murders in the city of Chicago, a large reason for the decrease. The number of rapes has increased in three of the past four years, including a .8 percent increase in 2004, 750 more than in 2003. Both categories are up from 2000 (rape – 5%; murder – 3.5%). The overall crime rate, however, is at a 30-year low and the rates of all violent crimes have dropped since 2000. The FBI has created a special report website. AP has more.