TALLAHASSEE -- Florida’s crime rate is at its lowest level since the state began keeping track of it 40 years ago.
The crime rate dropped by 6.6 percent in 2010 from the year before, Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced Tuesday, reflecting 54,000 fewer crimes. The figures are based on crimes for every 100,000 people.
Local numbers were mostly down, too:
n Manatee County Sheriff’s Office: 4.4 percent decrease
n Bradenton Police Department: 9.5 percent decrease
n Bradenton Beach Police Department: 68.4 percent decrease
n Holmes Beach Police Department: 41 percent decrease
n Palmetto Police Department: 4.3 percent increase
n Longboat Key Police Department: 15.6 percent increase
Those numbers accounted for the county’s 5.9 percent overall drop.
In Manatee, murders fell from 26 in 2009 to 13 in 2010, robberies decreased from 615 to 529 and motor vehicle thefts went from 674 to 489. Burglaries, however, rose from 3,323 to 3,607 in 2010.
“The increase has been in vehicle burglaries and residential burglaries,” said Manatee Sheriff Brad Steube. “In general people steal and pawn, or trade, whatever they’ve stolen for drugs, whether it be marijuana, cocaine or prescription drugs.”
Other heads of local law enforcement agree that drugs are one of the main issues in the county.
“We have a huge issue in this county with prescription drugs and burglaries that occur because of that,” said Palmetto Police Department Chief Rick Wells.
Holmes Beach Police Chief Jay Romine added that a number of the 72 burglaries his city saw in 2009 were related to drug abuse. An increase in patrol efforts and public awareness, he said, curbed that number to 53 in 2010.
“We put a message out that you need to lock the doors and look out for your neighbors,” Romine said. “I think it is a community effort.”
By locking car doors and keeping valuables out of sight the opportunity for car burglaries could diminish, according to Bradenton Police Chief Michael Radzilowski.
“They’re not stealing the AM/FM radios out of the car, they’re taking the radar detector and GPS’s,” he said. “Don’t leave anything of value in your car.”
Radzilowski attributed lower numbers in his area to members of the community becoming involved with crime prevention.
Residents are “calling us if they see anything suspicious, giving tips and working with the police,” he said. “Statically we are doing very well. Whether or not people feel safe or if crime is under control is a perception issue.”
Since Wells took over in Palmetto last summer, he has been trying to fight crime by zoning his patrols based on need.
“What we are doing is putting officers where they need to be and keeping them up to date with crime rates,” he said. “The first part of 2010 the crime rate was up 50 percent, and the officers did an outstanding job bringing that number down to the 4.3 status that it is now.”
He said the city has been seeing lower incidents of crime in recent months and said he stands by his mantra that communication between the community and law enforcement is key.
“We are heading in the right direction,” he said.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
