Florida Crime Rate Drops, Including South Florida
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) – Crime in the state of Florida is down, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties.
A report released Tuesday shows Florida's crime volume dropped 5.2 percent compared to the first six months of 2012. The crime stats come from the 2013 Semi-Annual Crime Report, released Tuesday by Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald to Governor Rick Scott.
According to the report, the number of violent crimes (murder, forcible sex offenses, robbery and aggravated assault) was down by 3.5 percent. The report showed a 10.6 percent drop in murders, a 2 percent decrease in robberies and a 4.2 percent decrease in aggravated assault. Non-violent crime (burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft) fell 5.5 percent. Burglary and larceny are down 9.5 percent and 3.7 percent respectively. The number of motor vehicle thefts decreased by 9.6 percent.
"Our communities are on a path to a 43-year crime low, which improves the quality of life for families and benefits all aspects of our communities," Governor Scott said. "This 5.2 percent drop in crime sends a signal to the rest of the world that Florida is a great place to find opportunities and a raise a family. We'll continue working in close partnership with law enforcement officials to make Florida communities even safer."
In Miami-Dade County, the report found crime fell 2.3 percent in the County and 9-percent in the City of Miami.
There were more than 1,400 fewer crime victims from January – June 2013 than the same time period last year with fewer murders, aggravated assaults, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts in Miami-Dade, according to the report.
The report also states that crime fell 4.9 percent in Broward County and also fell 8.1 percent in Monroe County.
Click here for the complete 2013 Semi-Annual Uniform Crime Report, including county-by-county breakdowns, can be found on FDLE's website.
FDLE began tracking crime statistics in 1971.
