The latest FBI crime statistics show a 3 percent drop in violent crime across the country last year, including a significant drop in the number of homicides. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter dropped 11.6 percent — the largest such drop in decades, according to the FBI. Reported rapes also dropped significantly compared to 2022, falling 9.4 percent. Property crime also dropped 2.4 percent. The drop in reported crimes comes as former President Trump and GOP candidates across the country have seized on crime as a campaign issue, repeatedly suggesting violent crime has surged. But Monday’s figures show a steady drop in crime that initially spiked at the start of the pandemic. Overall violent crime is still down significantly compared to spikes in the 1990s. Some crime statistics did rise over the past year, however. Auto theft surged 12.6 percent, and hate crime incidents also rose nearly 2 percent. Crime statistics reporting does have some limitations. Not all cities share their crime reporting statistics with the FBI, though the data cover just over 94 percent of the U.S. population. All murders are reported to the FBI, however.  FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System includes figures for every city with more than 1 million people. This story was updated at 12:46 p.m. EDT