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In the city of San Diego, overall violent crime – a category that includes murder/voluntary manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault – decreased 9 percent from 2010, although the number of murders increased, from 29 to 38, according to the federal agency's Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report. The property crime rate dropped 3 percent.

There was a 1 percent increase in violent crime in Chula Vista, due to an increase in aggravated assaults, the FBI reported. There was a 2 percent decrease in overall property crimes over the year, despite an increase in burglaries and non-vehicular thefts.

In Oceanside, the 2011 violent-crime rate was down 4.62 percent, though there were three more murders, 11 more forcible rapes and four more robberies. The property crime dropped 1.53 percent.

Escondido's violent crime rate dropped 17 percent, due to decreases in robberies and aggravated assaults. Its property crime figure dropped 20 percent.

Carlsbad's violent offense rate rose 7.69 percent from 2010, due to an increase in aggravated assaults and a total of four murders, and its property-crime rate increased 8.24 percent.

There was a 4 percent drop in violent crimes nationwide and a 0.8 percent decline in the number of property crimes. All four of the violent-offense categories decreased, and the property-crime categories of larceny and auto theft also dipped. However, burglaries increased 0.3 percent.