While crime in Florida was at a 44-year low in 2014, the crime rate in Leon County increased from 4,720 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2013 to 5,049 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2014.
With this increase, Leon County leads Florida in crime rate.
The statewide crime rate continued a downward trend and ended 2014 at 3,450 crimes per 100,000.
The data released earlier this week by FDLE shows a number of troubling trends in Leon County.
Violent crime rate in Leon County increased by 16% from 1,833 in 2013 to 2,134 in 2104. Statewide, violent crime decreased by .7%.
Property crime in Leon County increased by 6.7%. Statewide, property crime decreased 4.1%.
Aggravated assault in Leon County increased 30.5% from 1,116 in 2013 to 1,456 in 2014. Statewide, aggravated assaults increased 10.1%
Forcible sex offenses in Leon County were up 19.7%. Statewide, forcible sex offenses were up 3.8%.
Motor vehicle theft in Leon County was up 49.2%. Statewide, motor vehicle theft was up 3.6%.
The only category that was down from 2013 in Leon County was robbery, which was down by 22%. Statewide robbery was down 6.9%.
A closer look at the numbers show that the increase in crime is focused within Tallahassee’s city limits. FDLE statistics show that the crime rate fell in the county jurisdiction, but this fall was offset by a large increase in crime within the city limits.
These statistics come out as the City Commission is wrestling with how to fund new police officers requested by Chief Michael DeLeo.
Propelled by City Incidents, Leon County Leads Florida in Crime Rate added by Staff on
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Everyone is overlooking or obfuscating the real problem.
Cry me a river
If the chief needs more cops maybe he should just have one, set up a speed trap in Myers Park, instead of four. The city and the cops are shaking people down for 300 bucks for a right on red at Apalachee Parkway and Magnolia. Thats not out of a concern for public safety, that’s the result of a profligate, retributive government in need of more do ray mi. If a cop wrote you up for the same violation its around 60 bucks.
I don’t know why anyone would believe anything the government says.
The years of corruption by Sheriff Larry Campbell and his followers who were too weak to stand up and cry foul are a big part of the problem.
Unfortunately this list is long and the results are now emerging now that Gabordi is unable to cover-up the mismanagement and corruption and unable to serve as the PR rep rather than the community watchdog.
On the city side and beyond three elected officials are circumventing the residency requirement and are serving illegally. Ironically the area that has the largest rate of crime is being served by these three officials circumventing the residency requirement. This pocket of corruption needs to be cleaned up.
Furthermore, the city and county officials did not have public safety on their radar. They sat there like deer in headlights as the CDA was failing. None of them -not even Scott Maddox – did anything until it was too late. Too many PR op walks in the park with Gabordi validates this fact.
I suggest some good people run for election in the 2016 cycle and the voters vote…and vote smarter. Hope is on the horizon with a new publisher of the Tallahassee Democrat on board, a new police chief dedicated to public safety, and an opportunity for a new sheriff (not linked to the prior regime) will be able to assist in turning things around.
Also, the good reports and works by Tallahassee Reports should be lauded as well as one of the important components in restoring the community to a better environment.
Yes, the chickens are coming home to roost. Tallahassee is a mini Baltimore having the same political philosophy and similar political corruption for the past forty years. Despite the evidence, the local media, with the exception of local radio, has been complicit either by incompetence or just laziness.
Compare Tallahassee against other progressive cities in the Sunbelt and it falls behind in all categories.
Government matters. When you have good government, you get an Austin or a Charleston. When you have bad government, you get Detroit or a Baltimore. To be in the later category, local government must have three simple things: Respect, Fairness and Trustworthiness. The City of Tallahassee fails in all three categories. Anyone who has have any dealings with the City knows that to be true, and the City has a national reputation of having one of the worst bureaucracy and culture in the country. Therefore you get the results of high crime, high drop out rate, high infant mortality and high poverty rate despite being home to three institutions of higher learning. Yes, we have a some bright spots like the Mag Lab, and the Florida State University, but it should be so much more. Government Matters, and you get what you vote for.
Leon County’s crime rate is always off kilter because 60k+ people who live here are not counted as residents. They are students who are official residents “back home”. But they are victims and perpetrators none the less adding to our crime rate. So our adjusted crime rate would be a little lower, but no less alarming.
If you add their number to Tallahassee’s population it makes the issue of too few cops even worse.
To his credit Chief Deleo is sounding the alarms at City Hall. But in the Mayor’s circle of friends and influence the police are the problem, not the solution.
Impressive info and more cops might help to correct the problem.
But more cops is not the answer, in my view.
It’s a bigger issue than law enforcement.
Look at all the data we have about the overall condition of life in Tallahassee.
If you are born poor here you stay poor all your days.
If you are born here there is a good chance you wont live to start school.
If you start school there is a good chance you will not finish.
Bet you don’t realize, right now in one of the most prosperous places in the world, hundreds of kids will go to bed hungry tonight and have been hungry all day. Meanwhile all across town much of the food available is thrown away.
There’s more. Much more.
Nope. Pretty sure it’s not a law enforcement problem.
Bob,
Some of the statements you make are spot on like the problem being bigger than law enforcement (although there are certain numbers required and Tallahassee is well short of the number of officers needed); other comments are nonsensical like, well, the rest. You nibble around the edges, but the issue starts at home. We have a high number of single parent homes and the stats grow out of that simple situation. TPD needs more resources, but the City Commission – instead of funding that need FIRST, will instead try to raise taxes. But, you get what you vote for…good luck with this one citizens. Your wallets are about to be grabbed.