Serious crime declined for the seventh straight year, according to preliminary figures for 1998 from the Justice Department.

• Overall, the number of serious crimes and property offenses reported fell 7 percent last year.

• That includes an 11 percent fall off in robberies and a 10 drop in vehicle thefts.

• Murders fell 8 percent, while rape and aggravated assaults were both down by 5 percent.

• Arson was lower by 7 percent and larceny-thefts were down 6 percent.

Final figures from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program -- based on data from 17,000 city, county and state law enforcement authorities -- are due to be released in the fall.

Source: Cassandra Burrell (AP), "FBI Figures Show Crime Decline," USA Today, May 17, 1999.