Crime was down in Pennsylvania last year, which is somewhat of a surprise considering the state of the economy.

From a new report released by the Pennsylvania State Police showing overall crime down 5.4 percent and violent crime down 4.9 percent last year:

The breakdown of reported Crime Index offenses for 2009 is as follows:

* Murders dropped 8 percent from 704 to 648;
* Forcible rapes increased 4.9 percent to 3,620;
* Robberies declined 6.9 percent to 17,464;
* Aggravated assaults dipped 4.8 percent to 26,291;
* Burglaries dropped 6 percent to 54,519;
* Larcenies/thefts were down 5.6 percent to 203,268;
* Motor-vehicle thefts fell 20.2 percent to 17,776, and
* Arsons declined 9.3 percent to 2,157.

Follow the link below for more crime statistics and a link to the full 2009 report.

State Police: Crimes Reported in PA Dropped 5.4 Percent in 2009