According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, mid-year data for 2016 shows that crimes increased by 9.5% in Leon County when compared to the same time period during 2015. However, violent crime was down.
Leon county led the state in per capita crime in 2014 and 2015. See our previous report here.
For Leon county, the crime index increased 9.5% during the first six months of 2016 over the same period in 2015. The increase was driven by a 12.0% increase in property crimes like burglary and larceny.
In Leon County violent crime was down by 12.7%. This included decreases in murders (-37.5%), rapes (-1.5%), and aggravated assaults (-19.1%). Robberies were up 20%.
Property crimes in Leon county were driven by a 33.5% increase in motor-vehicle theft.
In contrast to the Leon County trend, the data shows that crime decreased in Florida when compared to the same time period during 2015.
For the first half of 2016, the state of Florida experienced a 3.4% decrease in the crime index.
The overall decrease in the state was lead by a 3.6% decrease in property crimes and a 3.3% decrease in violent crime. However, the state-wide violent crime decrease was driven by a decline in aggravated assaults and robberies. Both murders (15.2%) and rapes (1.9%) increased at the state-level.
Selected Leon County statistics for first six months 2016:
- Rapes decreased by 1.57%, from 134 offenses to 132. At the state level, rapes increased by 6.1%.
- Robbery increased by 20.0%, from 185 offenses to 222. At the state level, robbery was down by 5.6%.
- Aggravated assaults decreased by 19.1% from 873 offenses to 706. At the state level, aggravated assaults increased by 3.3%.
- Motor vehicle theft increased by 33.5% from 448 offenses to 598. At the state level, vehicle theft increased by 4.4%.
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Mid-Year Data Shows Violent Crime Down 12.7%, Property Crime Up 12.0% added by Staff on
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FDLE reports crime for Leon County by combining the numbers for LCSO, TPD, the Universities, and all the state agencies.
A closer look shows that Leon’s crime rate is solely driven by crime in the City.
In Tallahassee, the Crime Index increased 14.2% while it decreased 3.4% in Leon County and in the state. Tallahassee accounted for 80% of the murders, 79% of rapes, 90% of robberies, 78% of aggravated assaults, 77% of burglaries, 79% of thefts, and 89% of auto thefts (http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cms/FSAC/UCR-Reports.aspx County and Municipal Offense Report).
Also interesting is that TPD, despite its dedicated and hard-working officers and staff, clear just 16.5% of all reported cases.
Clearly, the City has a chronic crime problem that must be addressed.
Steve, would you inquire as to the population of people in Leon County that may drive up these rates per capita? My theory is if the number of people in Leon County is lower than what is a true representation then our per capita rate would show higher crime rates.
It is my belief that with so many people in Leon County that work here but do not live in the county would skew those statistics when they report crime in our county. If our population is more then our rates should be considered less, shouldn’t it? (ie. If I live in Wakulla or Thomasville, but work in Tallahassee and I report a crime that happens here, I do not live here but the crime is listed against the per capita ratio.)