Index offenses are divided into the following categories: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Collectively, the number of violent crimes in Connecticut in 1989 was up 12.4 percent from the total reported in 1988. Robberies increased 14.4 percent, murders increased 8.6 percent, aggravated assaults went up by 11.7 percent, and rape increased 5.9 percent. In all, the rate of violent crime, which was 511.8 crimes per 100,000 persons in 1989, was 12.5 percent higher than the 1988 rate of 454.9 crimes per 100,000 persons. The total value of stolen property reported to law enforcement agencies in the commission of an index crime in 1989 was $196,197,019. Of this, $80,128,586, or 40.8 percent, was recovered. Arson increased slightly, by 1.6 percent, to 1,086 fires in 1989. Arrests for 1989 totaled 224,005, approximately 6,916 arrests per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime "clearance" rate was 47.1 percent, while the clearance rate for property crime was 19.6 percent. For a criminal offense to be "cleared," either a person is arrested, charged and turned over to the courts, or some element beyond police control precludes the arrest of the offender, which results in the offense being cleared by "exceptional means." 12 tables.