FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, MAJOR CRIME DECREASED IN SPRINGFIELD. AS CATEGORIZED BY THE FBI, THESE CRIMES INCLUDE MURDER, NONNEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER, RAPE, ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, BURGLARY, LARCENY, AND AUTO THEFT. INDEX CRIME TOTALED 4,597 IN 1978 FOR A 1 PERCENT DECREASE FROM 1977. HOWEVER, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT INCREASED 47 PERCENT, BURGLARY 34 PERCENT, AND AUTO THEFT 2 PERCENT. TOTAL MAJOR OFFENSES CLEARED DURING 1978 NUMBERED 1,994 OR 38.5 PERCENT AS COMPARED TO 2,284 OR 47.7 PERCENT CLEARED IN 1977. JUVENILE ARRESTS FOR CRIMES INCREASED FROM 349 IN 1977 TO 373 IN 1978, REPRESENTING A 7 PERCENT INCREASE. ADULT ARRESTS FOR MAJOR CRIMES DECREASED FROM 529 IN 1977 TO 504 IN 1978, REPRESENTING A 5 PERCENT DROP. TOTAL ADULT ARRESTS FOR ALL CRIMINAL OFFENSES INCREASED FROM 2,432 IN 1977 TO 2,835 IN 1978. THERE WERE 2,871 MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS RECORDED IN 1978 AS COMPARED TO 3,057 THE PREVIOUS YEAR, REPRESENTING A 6 PERCENT DECREASE. TOTAL POLICE EXPENDITURES FOR 1978 WERE $3,401,840, WITH 91 PERCENT TARGETED FOR PERSONNEL SALARIES AND FRINGE BENEFITS. A NEW CONCEPT OF IN-SERVICE TRAINING WAS INSTITUTED AT THE POLICE ACADEMY THIS YEAR, AND THE CADET PROGRAM WAS CONTINUED. TABULAR DATA, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND CHARTS ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)