ANNUAL FBI STUDY SHOWS INCREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME

Serious crime rose 1 percent in 1990, but the violent incidents that worry most Americans increased by 10 percent, the FBI reported. Property crimes dropped 1 percent, but violent crime, and murder and aggravated assault, both rose 10 percent, forcible rape increased 9 percent, and robbery was up by 11 percent between 1989 and 1990.

The new figures also showed that motor-vehicle theft rose 5 percent last year, arson was up 1 percent, burglary dropped by 4 percent, and larceny and theft remained unchanged.

The annual preliminary statistics are provided to the FBI by law enforcement agencies nationwide. The final figures will be published this summer.

Broken down by regions, the FBI figures show that there was a 2 percent crime increase in the Northeast and Midwest states, no change in the South, and a 1 percent crime drop in the West.

Murder rose 12 percent in the Northeast, 11 percent in the South, 10 percent in the West, and 5 percent in the Midwest.

Rural areas showed an overall 1 percent drop in crime between 1989 and 1990, while suburban areas and cities with populations greater than 50,000 people both recorded 1 percent increases in reported crime.

The new FBI statistics include a ``crime index'' that shows trends since 1986.

The index revealed that the number of murders fell 3 percent from 1986 to 1987, then rose 3 percent from 1987 to 1988, rose 2 percent from 1988 to 1989, and then jumped a full 10 percent from 1989 to 1990.