Florida Keys Crime Rate Posts Double Digit Drop
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MARATHON (CBSMiami) - Crime in the Florida Keys took a double-digit dip last year compared to a year earlier.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's crime statistics, overall crime was down by 16.3 percent.
Monroe County reported 1,010 overall crimes in 2018 compared to 1,206 crimes in 2017.
Two of the biggest drops were aggravated assault and larceny. There were 137 aggravated assaults in 2018 compared to 160 in 2017. When it came to larceny, 817 were reported in 2017 compared to 689 in 2018.
And in more good news, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office saw a significant increase in the number of cases cleared.
In 2017, the clearance rate for crimes was 31 percent. That figure jumped to 38.6 percent for 2018. Statistics published on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website show that state average for clearance rates to be about 23.4 percent for 2017.
"I am very happy to see such positive numbers," said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. "I am also happy to see our agency is clearing more cases than we ever have. Our efforts to make our community more safe is having a visible effect on crime."
Ramsay added that the improved numbers were not only due to the hard work of the men and women in law enforcement, but also the businesses, community watch leaders and residents who "extend us a helping hand."