Specific data are given for murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, crime index offenses by contributors, type and value of property stolen and recovered, drug arrests, North Carolina law enforcement officers assaulted, and law enforcement employee characteristics. A total of 205,005 index offenses (serious crimes) were reported during 1977. There were 4,084 victims for every 100,000 permanent inhabitants of the State. Of the 22,125 violent crimes, 572 were homicides, 919 were rapes (including attempts), 3,338 were roberies, and 17,296 were aggravated assaults. Of the 182,880 property crimes, there were 62,210 burglaries, 110,281 larcenies, and 10,389 motor vehicle thefts. A total of 56,616 or 27.62 percent of the serious crimes were cleared by arrest or exceptional means. Of the seven index crimes, four reflected decreases over 1976. While violent crimes as a group increased over 3 percent, property crimes as a group showed a decrease. Combined, the total volume of crime in North Carolina decreased nearly 1 percent over the previous year. Tabular data, crime clocks, law enforcement employee data, and a history of contributor participation are provided. (Author abstract modified)