Crime in Manatee jumps by 8.9 percent in first half of ’18. Lock your cars, sheriff says

Crime is on the rise in Manatee County for the first time in several years, with an 8.9 percent increase in reported crimes in the first half of 2018, compared to the first half of 2017.

During the first half of this year, there were more reported murders, robberies, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts in Manatee, according to the 2018 Semi-Annual Uniform Crime Reports released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Statewide, however, crime remains on the decline, with an 8 percent decrease in the index crimes reported in the first half of this year.

Locally, the most significant increase was in the city of Bradenton, where the number of reported crimes jumped by 114, or 14 percent. Bradenton saw an increase in every index crime except murder. The others are rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts.

But Bradenton Chief of Police Melanie Bevan said that part of the problem is that 2017 was a phenomenal year.

“We are seeing this year compared to last year. However, our five-year average is still 10 percent down and we are working to address some of our UCR increases,” Bevan said.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office saw 280 more index crimes, an increase of 9 percent, during the first six months of this year compared to the first half of 2017. During that time there were more reported murders, robberies, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts. The sheriff’s office has jurisdiction over unincorporated Manatee, as well as the city of Anna Maria.

“What’s really hurt us this year, especially the first half of 2018, was car burglaries,” Sheriff Rick Wells said. “We had a lot of juveniles and young men, groups that were traveling from Manatee to Sarasota, coming out of St. Pete, that just really wrecked havoc in our community here.”

The sheriff’s office noticed the increase of vehicle burglaries back in January, and ultimately created a specialized task force to go after those responsible. There was also a focus on better educating the community on the importance of never leaving personal belongings in a vehicle so they can avoid being victims of these “crimes of opportunity,” Wells said.

Wells attributes the increase of vehicle thefts to the same problem occurring with vehicle burglaries. Most of these thefts were because the vehicle owner had left the keys inside or left their garage door open.

“Another thing that really hurt us is retail theft,” Wells said. “Last year, Walmart had a diversion program They were not calling us to make arrests. They were trying to put them through this program and they were trying to help. Obviously it didn’t work for them, because they are calling us again.”

Bevan echoed Wells comments about arrests being up and that property crimes are the big driving force behind the increase crime rate. She also addressed the increase in rapes in the city, saying that not a single one of those reported rapes had been instances where the suspect was a stranger to the victim.

In the city of Palmetto, there was a 6.8 percent decrease in the number of crimes during the first half of the year compared to last year. There were fewer murders, robberies, aggravated assaults and burglaries reported to the Palmetto Police Department during those six months. There were more larcenies and motor vehicle thefts, while the number of rapes remained the same.

Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler said he was pleasantly surprised by the decrease in crime in his jurisdiction. He attributed it to increased cooperation from the community.

“I really have to give the props to residents and business owners,” Tyler said. “Our officers are constantly looking at crime trends and we are trying to reallocate our resources to patrol problem areas.”

Relationships Palmetto police officers have build with community have also played a big role, the chief said. But while crime may be down overall, property crimes continue to plague Palmetto, like elsewhere in the county.

Meanwhile on the islands, crime was down in the cities of Holmes Beach and on Longboat Key during the first half of 2018, but up in Bradenton Beach, by a whopping 84.6 percent. There were a total of 16 crimes reported in the city in the first half of this year.

Sheriff Wells stressed the importance of residents not leaving their valuables in their vehicles and remembering to lock their doors.

“I think people are really doing a better job at it,” Wells said.

Likewise, many residents have become proactive by installing surveillance systems and often it is that video footage that is the key in law enforcement being able to make arrests. That video footage reinforces what law enforcement has been telling the community, that many thieves will operate in groups and walk down the streets in a given neighborhood while looking for unlocked vehicles.

The holiday season will present more opportunities for thieves, the sheriff said.

“The holiday season is always a busy time for us and it really is about people paying attention to their surroundings as well, especially when you are in the mall and walking to your car, making sure there is nobody around you that looks suspicious,” Wells said. “We have got to pay attention, we can’t just take four or five shopping bags and dump them in the car and go back into the mall cause there is a good chance somebody could be watching us.”

This story was originally published November 30, 2018 at 6:00 AM.