HOUSTON —  Houston's police chief says the city's murder rate in 2011 was the lowest in more than four decades.
 

Police Chief Charles McClelland Junior said Wednesday that preliminary figures show Houston had 198 murders in 2011, the lowest it has been since 1965.

Police say the murder rate has significantly dropped since 2006, when there were 377 homicides.
 

McClelland attributes the drop to the police department's better use of technology that can identify problem areas and allow officials to quickly deploy officers and other resources.

He also credits the public's help in identifying trouble spots and sharing
that information with officers.
 

McClelland says other crimes in Houston also dropped in 2011, including robberies, which were down about 17 percent, and burglaries, which were down 4 to 5 percent.