It's tough to believe crime is down, just days after learning Reynato and Letitia Cardino were murdered in their Rockford home. But Rockford Police Chief Chet Epperson says it is down. In fact by about 20-percent compared to this time last year.

"We're having greater participation from our neighborhood watch groups, citizens calling us in, we're seeing some double digit sentencing from our judges sending property offenders to the Illinois Department of Corrections," says Epperson.

Almost nine out of every ten incidents recorded through June in Rockford involve property crimes such as burglaries and thefts. There were two less murders recorded, however the cut-off date doesn't include the deaths of the Cardinos and Auburn Secretary Carol McFeggen. McFeggan's husband is charged in her death. Epperson says such domestic incidents account for about 90-percent of homicides.

"The violent crime that we do have, there is a relationship between the suspect and victim so in essence we're not alarming the community that we have some big crime wave going on there's some unknown suspect, in most cases of violent crime, we know who the suspects are," he says.

As for police brutality, Epperson says between 2006 and 2008, excessive force complaints have dropped by 63-percent. Joe Sebright is one of those who complained after getting shot with a stun gun last summer.

"We're identifying those uses of force whether it's a taser, whether it be deadly force with a weapon, whether it be O.C., the pepper spray or if we're using a baton, we're recording all of those and we're looking at each incident to say is it justifiable or not," says Epperson.

Epperson says the Office of Professional Standards is reviewing Sebright's claims and expects to reach a decision in the next few weeks as to whether the officer's actions were justified.

In the past, Epperson has been criticized for making the crime stats appear to be not as bad as they really are. We tried contacting the Police Union for their reaction, however our calls were not returned.