Florida Crime Rate Drops

The crime rate in the Sunshine State is dropping, according to a report released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The report showed Florida's crime volume had dropped 5.2 percent compared to the first six month of 2012.

According to the report, the number of violent crimes (murder, forcible sex offenses, robbery and aggravated assault) was down by 3.5 percent. The report also showed a 10.6 percent drop in murders, a 2 percent decrease in robberies and a 4.2 percent decrease in aggravated assault.

Nonviolent crime (burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft) also fell 5.5 percent. Burglary and larceny are down 9.5 percent and 3.7 percent respectively, and the number of motor vehicle thefts decreased by 9.6 percent.

Domestic violence offenses continued to decline in the first half of 2013, showing a 1.7 percent drop when compared to the first half of 2012.

"Our communities are on a path to a 43-year crime low, which improves the quality of life for families and benefits all aspects of our communities," said Gov. Rick Scott about the report. "This 5.2 percent drop in crime sends a signal to the rest of the world that Florida is a great place to find opportunities and raise a family. Well continue working in close partnership with law enforcement officials to make Florida communities even safer.

Thesenumbers reflect historiclows, said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey. Law enforcementis working hard to make Florida a safe place to live, work and play.

It is encouraging to see decreases in every crime category, said Florida Police Chiefs Association president, Springfield Chief Philip Thorne. Keeping our communities safe is the top priority of police chiefs across Florida and we are seeing the results of our efforts.

The complete 2013 Semi-Annual Uniform Crime Report, including county-by-county breakdowns, can be found on FDLEs website.