The level of serious crime on the MBTA dropped in 2012, even as the system has been carrying more riders, the MBTA Transit Police said today.

Serious crime fell by more than 11 percent, from 1,159 to 1,029, compared with the year before, according to statistics released by Transit Police. The decline was led by decreases in robbery, larceny, burglary, and auto theft. The number of homicides declined from 1 to 0.