Gov. Rick Scott Touts Reduction in Crime Rate

Gov. Rick Scott, along with Florida's law enforcement community, boasted Tuesday of the 6.7 percent reduction in the overall crime rate for 2010. The uniform crime report unveiled Tuesday also reflected a 10.1 percent reduction in violent crime. Scott noted that while four officers were killed in the line of duty and five officers suffered accidental deaths in all of 2010, six officers have already been killed in the line of duty in 2011.

With six law enforcement officers killed in action during the past four months, the news of these drops inFloridas crime rate reminds us that public safety comes from the commitment of selfless public servants. In acknowledging these statistics, I want to commend the men and women of law enforcement for their valor and dedication," Scott said.

Murders were down 2.9 percent from 2009, forcible sex offenses decreased 3.3 percent, robberies dropped 15.6 percent, and aggravated assaults fell 8.9 percent.

Its clear that public safety is aFloridapriority. I applaud the work of our chiefs, sheriffs and state law enforcement; our partnerships have been instrumental in bringing the crime rate to record lows," Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey said.