Crime rate fell in Manatee County in 2020. Keeping it down is proving tough, cops say
In addition to shutdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, last year also saw an overall reduction in crime in Manatee County.
It was welcome news to the county’s top law enforcement officials, who are currently dealing with an increase in crime.
Compared to the previous year, crime in Manatee County dropped by 4.3% in 2020, according to the annual Florida uniform crime report released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement earlier this week. There were 2,000.4 index crimes reported per 100,000 people in the county last year.
Index crimes reported by law enforcement agencies used to calculate the crime rate include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. Countywide, the year saw a decrease in the number of reported murders, burglaries and larcenies. Conversely, rapes, aggravated assaults and motor vehicle thefts increased across the county.
Statewide, crime dropped by 14.1% in 2020, compared to the previous year.
The city of Bradenton saw the largest drop locally, with an 11.2% decrease in overall crime.
“We are just following the greater trend,” Bradenton Chief of Police Melanie Bevan said. “For me to claim to know precisely how and why, I would tell you why I know it’s rising now.”
At least part of the reason, Bevan said, is how much time people were stuck at home last year during the shutdown. The number of burglaries, often a crime of opportunity, dropped, because people were home more.
“We were fully staffed and out there the whole year. We are happy it fell and we are hoping we can hold on to those lows throughout this year,” Bevan added.
One trend that concerns her at the moment is an increase in aggravated assaults, particularly involving youthful offenders. The trend is concerning because the crime generally involves guns or other weapons.
“This summer we are going to take a lot of opportunities to engage with our youth in a positive manner,” Bevan said.
One idea being considered is midnight basketball games between officers and older teens.
Also on the rise in Bradenton are motor vehicle thefts and burglaries. The city of Palmetto is also battling a similar issue, especially with burglaries of unlocked vehicles — something that has long plagued the entire region.
“It’s a frustrating. This year we had several vehicle burglaries where guns were stolen,” Palmetto Police Chief Scott Tyler said. He also echoed the common message pushed by all local enforcement agencies.
“These are crimes of opportunity. We ask the public to lock their doors, hide their valuables and don’t leave your guns in your car.”
Unlike Bradenton, however, the city of Palmetto saw a 7.9% increase in crime last year. While the lockdown during the first half of the year coincided with a reduction in crime, “the second half of 2020 was just horrible,” Tyler said.
A rise of property crimes is not new to Palmetto, but there were several business burglaries, which aren’t as common in the city. Two homicides in the city in 2020 compared to none in 2019 contributed to the overall jump in the crime rate.
The beach cities of Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Longboat Key all saw an increase in crime. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office handles law enforcement in the city of Anna Maria.
In Bradenton Beach, the crime rate increased by 4.3% and included one murder last year — a rare occurrence in any of the beach cities. In Holmes Beach, crime increased by 19% and included four aggravated assaults.
Crime in Longboat Key jumped by 27.1%, driven solely by property crimes — burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft — with no violent index crimes reported.
Unincorporated areas of the county and the city of Anna Maria combined saw a 3.4% decrease in the crime rate in 2020.
“We’re pleased. That’s our goal every year, to continue to have a drop in crime,” Sheriff Rick Wells said.
But as the county’s population continues to grow, meeting the public safety concerns becomes more challenging for deputies, he added.
Despite lockdowns, however, Wells said last year still presented challenges to combating crime.
“The criminals did not obey the rules. The deputies had to continue doing what they do,” Wells said. “And they didn’t always have time to put a mask and gloves on before they chased down a suspect.”
This story was originally published June 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
