Overall, there were 35,770 index crimes reported in the first half of 2003 compared with 36,528 in 2002, a decrease of 2.1 percent.

The number of murders from January through June was one fewer than the first six months last year, although the tally of other violent crimes increased.

Rapes were up 1.6 percent from 188 in the first half of 2002 to 191. Robbery was up 13.3 percent from 573 to 649 and aggravated assault was up 11.7 percent, from 797 to 890.

Property crime, which accounts for the majority of crime in Hawai'i, decreased 2.7 percent, with 34,029 reported incidents in the first six months of this year, compared to 34,958 for the first six months last year.

Hawai'i had the highest rate of larceny theft in the nation last year but in 2003 it appears the number of thefts has decreased slightly from 24,043 in 2002 to 23,186 for the first six months this year. Burglaries are down 7.4 percent from 6,289 in 2002 to 5,825 in that time.

Police are solving major crimes at a slightly higher rate in the first six months 2003. Last year at this time, police were solving 8.4 percent of major crimes, compared to 11.6 percent so far in 2003.

Police left 91 percent of major crimes unsolved in 2002 and had the lowest clearance rate in department history.