Reports of violent and property crime declined nationwide in the first half of 2013, according to newly released data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

More than 12,000 law enforcement agencies submitted crime data to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for the first six months of 2012 and 2013.

All violent offenses, including murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, aggravated assault and robbery showed decreases. Murders declined 6.9 percent and forcible rapes decreased 10.6 percent.

The decreases were spread across all regions of the country, with the largest drop occurring in the Midwest, where violent crime fell by 7.4 percent and property crime dropped 9.3 percent.

The nation also saw decreases in all three major property crimes: burglary, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft. Burglary dropped by 8.1 percent, larceny by 4.7 percent and motor vehicle thefts by 3.2 percent.