PORTLAND (AP) – Maine’s overall crime rate dropped last year for the first time since 2004, despite a sharp rise in rape and arson, according to figures released Friday.

Crime was down 3.4 percent in 2007, reversing increases of 4.6 percent in 2006 and 0.4 percent in 2005, the Department of Public Safety reported. The crime rate dropped 1.2 percent in 2004 and 2.1 percent in 2002.

The number of rapes rose from 340 in 2006 to 393 last year, a jump of 15.6 percent, while domestic violence assaults were up from 5,554 to 5,771, but officials suggested that better reporting may have been a factor.

“Maine continues to work to reduce this violence against women and one reason for the increased numbers may be that victims are more willing to report the crimes,” Public Safety Commissioner Anne Jordan said.

Better reporting was also seen as the cause of a 25.9 percent rise in arson cases, which rose from 193 in 2006 to 243 in 2007. However, the value of property damaged by arson fires was down, from $4.4 million to $3.8 million.

Fire Marshal John Dean credited local police departments for stepped-up reporting of arson. He said many cases had gone unreported to the state because some police departments thought the Fire Marshal’s Office was reporting them.

Robberies decreased for the first time in six years, falling 8.9 percent. In the preceding five years, robberies were up 30.1 percent, with much of the increase attributed to drugs. Aggravated assults rose by 1.7 percent and simple assaults 3.3 percent.

The rate for violent crime in Maine for 2007 was one offense per 1,000 people compared to the national average of 4.6 per 1,000.

Among nonviolent crimes, burglaries were down 1.5 percent following a 7.9 percent rise in 2006; thefts dropped 4.4 percent. The value of property stolen during 2007 was nearly $27.5 million compared to $26.7 million in 2006. Police recovered $6.6 million during 2007, a recovery rate of 24.1 percent.

Overall crime was down 3.2 percent in urban areas with fulltime police departments and 5.2 percent in rural communities patrolled by state police and sheriff’s departments.

The figures are complied by the Public Safety Department’s Uniform Crime Reporting Division based on reports from local, county and state law enforcement agencies. The division’s statistics show that 33,796 offenses were reported to police during 2007 compared to 34,996 during 2006.

Last year’s total represents a crime rate of 25.8 offenses per 1,000 people and compares to the national average of 35.3 offenses per 1,000 in 2006.