The number of violent crimes in Chicago is down for the first half of 2006 compared to last year.

Criminal sexual assaults have seen the most significant decrease, falling nearly nine percent.

Chicago Police Superintendent Phil Cline says the drop in sexual assaults is due to better technology.

“The sexual assaults, DNA continues to be our best ally in those cases,” Cline says. “If you remember, we just solved two sexual assault cases recently on the North Side. One where we arrested the offender right after the incident, and then we were able to tie his DNA into an earlier sexual assault.”

While overall crime rates have fallen, there’s been a significant increase in arsons.

Cline says that’s because gang members are burning cars as a form of retaliation against their rivals.