The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says total crime grew slightly statewide in 2007, but there were fewer murders reported than in the year before. The statistics released Wednesday were in the seventh annual report compiled by the TBI from numbers submitted by local police agencies. The comprehensive report shows 632,540 reported crimes last year, compared with 624,151 in 2006. Categories showing increases were drug violations, which were up
7.4 percent, and shoplifting, which increased 17.3 percent. The number of reported murders statewide was 395, down from 421 in 2006 and 439 in 2005.