ALBANY - New York state's overall crime rate continued to drop in the first half of 2007, with the number of rapes decreasing 19 percent and robberies dropping 13 percent, according to a report issued Tuesday.

Overall crime was also down in Cayuga County, though the number of violent crimes increased substantially, according to the Division of Criminal Justice Services.

The 104 reported violent crimes countywide in the first half of the year was up 73.3 percent. Overall crimes dropped 5.6 percent to 845.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Denise O'Donnell, Commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice Services, announced that the number of reported crimes dropped from 219,550 in the first half of 2006 to 208,265 this year - a 5 percent decrease.

Murder was down 4 percent, dropping from 406 murders in the first six months of 2006 to 390 for the same period this year. Statewide, rapes have dropped from 1,730 in the first half of last year to 1,406 in 2007.

Vehicle thefts were down 15 percent, and burglary dropped 7 percent. Assault was down 1 percent.

Overall, violent crime dropped 6 percent statewide.

New York City had a 5 percent decline in violent crimes, 23,887, down from 25,132. The city also had a 4 percent drop in property crimes for the first half of the year, according to the DCJS report.

The number of murders declined nearly 12 percent to 235 compared to 266 in the first six months of last year.

Overall, 41 counties reported a decrease in crime so far this year.