CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago police statistics show the city was a far less violent this November compared to last November.

On Friday, the department reported that there were 35 homicides in November compared to 79 in November 2016 and there were 168 shooting incidents compared to 315 during the previous November.

Though the latest figures represent a continuation of a trend of falling gun crimes this year, the number of homicides climbed past the 600 mark for the year — meaning 2017 is just the second year in the last 14 where there have been more than 600 homicides in a year.

Police have attributed some of the drop to an expanded use of technology that helps officers respond to shootings more quickly and better identify areas where violence might occur.