TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Indiana's overall crime rate fell between 2006 and 2007, even as violent crimes rose slightly, according to the state's annual Uniform Crime Report.

The latest report shows that indexed crimes fell 1.7 percent last year to 236,691, down from 240,993 the year before in Indiana.

Both years' numbers average out to seven crimes per day per county in Indiana.

Although the numbers for 2008 haven't been tallied yet, law enforcement officials in western Indiana agree some crimes have continued to fall this year.

"I think, knock on wood, that we've been very fortunate again to not have had any extremely violent crimes in the county," said Vigo County Sheriff Jon Marvel.

Statewide, crimes of violence rose to 21,165 in 2007, up from 19,876 in 2006.

While methamphetamine still reigns among law enforcement's drug problems, legislation regulating cold medications used to make meth have lowered the illegal drug's production.

"Meth production has taken a tremendous nosedive over '06 and '05," Marvel said, adding that police have had progress breaking down "mom and pop labs," forcing dealers to turn to producers in other states.

Statewide, homicides dropped last year to 356 from 369 in 2006, a number Terre Haute City Police Chief John Plasse said fluctuates considerably from year to year.

He said interpreting the annual crime statistics reported to the FBI can be difficult when trying to determine whether criminal activity or law enforcement is at play.

"You always hope the statistics (show) that crime goes down, and in a perfect world, that's the way it would be," Plasse said.

Marvel said many violent crimes arise from the illegal drug trade.

"It all seems to revolve around that big 'D' word, and that's drugs," he said.

For more information:
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/table_04.html
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/index.html