Texas bucked the national trend last year as the major crime...

Texas bucked the national trend last year as the major crime rate dropped 5.3 %, according to Texas Department of Public Safety statistics released.
Between 2005 and 2006, the violent crime rate dropped 2.3 % statewide - the only category that saw an increase was robbery, by 1.3 % - while the property crime rate dropped 5.7 %, according to the department report.
The crime rate is the number of crimes per 100,000 population.
"The crime rate has declined 4 straight years thanks to the efforts of our citizens and the law enforcement community," DPS Director Col. Thomas Davis Jr. said. "While this is encouraging, there is still much work to be done."
In Austin, the overall number of major crimes increased by 0.4 % in 2006, according to the report. The number of rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts increased slightly, while the number of murders and thefts dropped.
El Paso and Houston also saw crime increase. Dallas, San Antonio and Fort Worth reported lower crime.
In Round Rock, crime dropped by 10.9 % in 2006, the report said.
Nationwide, violent crime increased 3.7 % in the first 6 months of 2006, according to preliminary data released by the FBI in December. That followed a 2.2 % increase in violent crime in 2005 - the 1st increase after several years of declining crime.