The number of confirmed criminal offenses officially recorded in Japan in 2012 was half that of 2002, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

According to the NPA, the number of offenses recorded in 2002 was the highest on record at around 2.85 million, Fuji TV reported. In 2012, the NPA said 1,382,154 confirmed criminal cases were recorded, a 6.7% decrease from 2011.

The agency said that there was a general downward trend in the official logging of offenses and that the number of confirmed murders and attempted murders -- 1,030 -- was the lowest on record since World War II. However, the agency added that the number of violent crimes recorded was up 8.9%. The NPA said police solved 437,674 cases in 2012.

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