Florida Crime Statistics Show Overall Drop
There is good news in Florida regarding crime. According to recently published statistics, crime in the state is down around 9%. But as Bay News 9 reported, not all of the numbers were good.
Almost 50 Years of Falling Crime
Believe it or not, this is the 48th year in a row in which the crime rate has fallen in Florida. Florida began tracking crime statistics in 1971, so the rate has dropped every single year.
The drop in the crime rate was also broad based:
- Violent crimes dropped by 4.2%
- Property crimes dropped by 7.9%
Of course, it’s important to understand what the “crime rate” is. You calculate the number of crimes by 100,000 people. So the total number of crimes might be higher today than they were in the past, but there are many more people in the state of Florida, so the rate of crime decreases. Calculating a crime rate is a fair way of comparing the prevalence of crime in areas that have differing populations.
Most Violent Crimes See Decrease
Not all news was good, however. In particular, Florida saw an increase in the number of homicides and rapes. In total, there were 50 more total homicides in Florida in 2018 than in 2017, which represented almost a 5% increase. These numbers included the 17 students killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy that made national headlines.
The increase is rapes might owe to different factors. One is that the recent increased visibility on sex crimes and harassment might have made victims feel more comfortable coming forward, especially if they think that the police will believe their stories. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the number of rapes has increased, though that is possible.
Declines in Volusia County
Authorities also broke out the crime statistics by county so we can drill down to see how we are doing here in Volusia County. Fortunately, crime decreased across most police departments. For example, the Daytona Beach Police Department saw a 19.8% drop from 2017 to 2018.
As a whole, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reported a 7.9% drop in crime for 2018 from the year before. The crime rate as measured by 100,000 people fell even more, by 8.5%.
Volusia county experienced the following violent crimes:
- 22 murders in 2018, down from 27 the year before
- 142 rapes in 2018, up from 113 the year before
- 302 robberies in 2018, down from 308
- 1,530 incidents of aggravated assault, down from 1,586 in 2017
Apart from the increase in rapes, this is good news.
Criminal Defense Attorneys Representing Volusia County
Prosecutors continue to use a “tough on crime” approach and regularly overcharge defendants. If you or a loved one has been picked up for a crime, you need a tough advocate in your corner.
Bundza & Rodriguez has represented criminal suspects in Volusia County for years. Our Daytona Beach criminal defense lawyers know how to build a solid defense, and we will be happy to meet with you if you call 386-252-5170. Our consultations are free and confidential.
Resource:
fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/UCR/2018/CoMuOff2018annual.aspx
baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2019/06/24/florida-crime-rate-drops-by-9-percent-in-2018