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| Gov. Rick Scott |
“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," Florida Governor Rick Scott said in a release. "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.”
FLORIDA STATEWIDE
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. For the second year in a row, theft from coin
operated machines subcategory experienced the largest decline at -30.6%.
Domestic violence offenses continued to decline in the first half of
2013, showing a 1.7 percent drop when compared to the first half of
2012. Cohabitants continue to be the largest group of victims in this
category, with spouses remaining the second largest group.
The report also contains information on officers killed feloniously.
One law enforcement officer died from criminal causes and one law
enforcement officer died from accidental causes while on duty during the
first half of 2013.
“These numbers reflect historic lows,” said FDLE Commissioner Gerald
Bailey. “Law enforcement is working hard to make Florida a safe place
to live, work and play.”
BREVARD COUNTY
Overall,
Brevard County crime decreased by 6.3% from 2012 to 2013. Motor vehicles thefts saw the largest drop (-15.1%) from 403 in 2012 to 342 in 2013. Aggravated Assault dropped -3.3% from 1,123 to 1,086 while Burglary and Larceny both declined at -3.7% and -8.6%,
respectively. Murders also fell slightly from 14 in 2012 to 13 in 2013.
Only two subcategories of crime saw an increase in the first half of 2013 in Brevard. Robbery increased 9% from 220 in 2012 to 240 in 2013. Forcible Rape rose 2.8%
from 141 in 2012 to 145 in 2013.
"I believe
these results are largely attributable to our outstanding partnership
with our citizens, aggressive Patrol, Investigations and Corrections
services, and strong Judges and Prosecutors," Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said in a statement. "The citizens of Brevard
County are blessed to have an outstanding cooperative relationship
between their municipal, state and federal law enforcement partners, who
together have taken an aggressive stance against violent and repeat
criminals."
Sheriff Ivey also credited the Brevard County Crime Prevention Task Force and the GAME OVER Task Force for their efforts in decreasing crime in Brevard.
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| Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey / B.C.S.O. Photo |
"While the Semi-Annual Crime Report marks a significant reduction in our crime rate, it's extremely
important to remember that criminals adapt quickly to any effort made
by law enforcement to combat crime," Ivey cautioned. "That is why it is vital that our
citizens continue to use Crime Prevention tools to help protect
themselves, their families, and their community. Now is not the time to
let up on our efforts, but instead, is the time to apply even more
aggressive pressure to make sure we send a strong message to criminals
and continue to reduce our crime rate."