Crime rates in the United States have been 1.____________ for a number of years. Rates of violent crime have fallen to their lowest levels since the 1970s. President Bush 2. ____________ this in his declaration in April for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. But this week, a report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation 3. ____________ new evidence that violent crime may be on the rise. Early numbers for the first half of the year show 4.___________ crime was up three and seven-tenths percent over the same period last year. The F.B.I. reported earlier that violent crime increased more than two5.____________ in all of 2005. That was the largest increase in fifteen years. The new report says the number of 6. ____________ nationwide increased nine and seven-tenths percent between January and June of this year. And there were seven percent more arson fires 7. ____________ to the first half of last year. The number of murders increased almost one and one-half percent. Other violent 8.____________ were also up more than one percent. But the F.B.I. says the number of rapes decreased, though by less than one-tenth of one percent. The report shows that violent crime rose 9. ____________, especially in cities with populations between half a million and a million. But the10. ____________ increase was in the West. Violent crime in that part of the country rose almost five percent. Northeastern states had the smallest increase. It was three percent over the same period last year. While violent crime increased nationally, most 11. ____________ crimes fell in the first half of the year. In all, property crime decreased more than two and one-half percent. The information in the F.B.I. report comes from more than eleven thousand law enforcement 12. ____________. Researchers from the Justice Department are studying a number of cities to look for13. ____________ why violent crime is up nationally. Experts suggest a number of possible reasons. These 14. ____________ too many illegal guns and not enough law enforcement officers on the streets of American cities. Also15. ____________ are reductions in federal money for local law enforcement agencies over the past ten years. Yet 16. ____________agencies have more duties since the attacks of September 11th, 2001. Now they are expected to fight terrorism in addition to 17. ____________crime. At the federal level, the F.B.I. and other agencies that often help local officers investigate crimes have seen their duties change as well. But other researchers believe an increase in young males and other population changes have played a 18. ____________in the rise in violent crime. And some point to increases in the19. ___________ of street gangs. In any case, the F.B.I. notes that in the years leading up to 2005, violent crime kept 20. ____________. So officials say it is still too early to say if new trends are developing.