L.A.’s overall crime rate is down again, Police Chief Charlie Beck said today, adding that the number of homicides has fallen nearly 10 percent compared to last year.

“As of today, we are down over 6 percent in overall crime, 7.5 percent in violent crime and almost 10 percent in homicides,’ he said.

“We are down in literally every category of Part I crime, (which are) the seven crimes that are mandated to be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the end of the year.’

Statistics released by the Los Angeles Police Department show there were 198 homicides in the city between Jan. 1 and Aug. 28 — 21 fewer than the same period last year, a 9.6 percent decline.

The number of rapes dropped by 13.3 percent to 489; robbery slid 10.1 percent; and aggravated assaults fell 14.3 percent, according to the department.

“This has been done in a time when economics and social trends would indicate that this shouldn’t happen, and I think it’s a very positive story about Los Angeles and what a great city that this is,’ Beck said.

“We’re the only major city of the three major cities in the U.S. to be down in all categories of crime, and we certainly lead in crime reduction,’ he added.