So far in 2011, there have been 100 homicides in the District. That’s 17 percent fewer killings than 2010.

So valuable is the District’s falling homicide rate that elected officials spare no opportunity to mention it. At this morning’s press conference — where Mayor Vincent Gray was announcing two new appointments — the city’s chief executive not-so-slyly snuck in a mention of the 100-person body count.

Of course, the number of murders alone don’t fully define broader crime trends in the District.

The Examiner reports that domestic violence increased from 2009 to 2010 in the city, and that the end-of-the-year holiday season often sees a spike in domestic incidents. According to statistics from the Metropolitan Police Department, the number of people seeking help at the District’s domestic violence centers went up 15 percent during that year-long period, while the number of 18-to-21 year olds receiving service for domestic violence rose 25 percent.

In a related article, the AP noted that 13 people have been killed so far this year in D.C. domestic incidents, up from 12 in 2010. (You can find statistics regarding domestic violence in the District here.)

And despite the District’s continued decline in homicides, it has seen a rise in transgender bias crimes. In August, D.C. police announced that while murders and robberies were down, overall violent crime was up. In 2010, rapes were up 25 percent.