Government

Rick Scott: ‘We are Winning the Fight Against Crime’

By: Jim Turner | Posted: November 1, 2012 11:15 AM

Around the State

Crime in Florida during the first half of 2012 is down 3.8 percent from the first half of 2011, according to statistics released Thursday by Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Violent crimes, including murder, forcible sex offenses, robbery and aggravated assault, were down 5.3 percent, with nonviolent crimes including burglary and motor vehicle theft falling 3.6 percent.

“As a father and grandfather, the safety of Florida families is a top priority for our administration,” Scott stated in a release.

The stats were released during a press conference Thursday at the FDLE Tampa Bay Regional Operations office.

“The great news is, we are winning the fight against crime,” Scott continued.

“I am committed to making Florida the safest place in the world to pursue a career and raise a family.”

The numbers indicated that domestic violence offenses decreased 5.4 percent, with cohabitants the largest group of victims in this category.

For county-by-county numbers, visit here.

Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.

Tags: FDLE, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, News, Rick Scott, Government

Comments (3)

Mike Appleton

8:32PM NOV 2ND 2012

Sorry, Rick, but the crime rate in Florida has been declining for years. The principal reason is the aging of the population. The median age in Florida is now 40.7 and the boomer generation is beginning to collect social security. It's tough to make a living as a second-storey man when the arthritis flares up in one's knees.

LDouglas

7:08AM NOV 2ND 2012

I have to wonder if the crime rate being down has anything to do with the self deportation of illegal immigrants who couldn't find work here. (Mainly in the construction industry.)

Or if any is due to the increase in the food stamp program or other social services.

(I also wonder if the crime rate will be up in the second half of 2012 as the area I live in has recently had a spate of burglaries.)

Anon

2:27PM NOV 1ST 2012

There needs to be more emphasis placed on equipping law enforcement vehicles with cameras, that can automatically check license plates of vehicles sighted, to see whether they are lost or stolen, etc.

Criminals and terrorists often steal a vehicle or steal plates to put on a different vehicle, before using them to commit their crimes, which makes checking for stolen plates and vehicles of critical importance in reducing crime.

The information collected can also be stored in a database and used to track terrorist movements.

Since the process takes place automatically, without the need for human attention, collecting and checking information that way requires only a minimal increase in labor costs (and obviously saves money overall, by reducing terrorism and crime).