CRIME RATE DOWN IN GULF COUNTY

Last week Florida released its 2014 Annual Crime in Florida Report. The report shows Florida’s crime rate dropped 4.9% compared to 2013, Gulf County led the state with a 23.2% reduction in reported crimes. These figures are derived from the total crime index which reflects 444 crimes reported in 2013 compared to 341 crimes reported in 2014.

Violent crime in Gulf County also dropped 30.1% and property crimes fell 21.4%.

With the reduction in crime, the total number of arrests in Gulf County was reduced by 5.2% with 818 arrests in 2013 compared to 776 arrests in 2014. Although total arrests were down, the number of drug arrests increased 52.3% in Gulf County with 123 drug arrests in 2013 and 235 drug arrests in 2014.

Sheriff Mike Harrison said, “I am pleased that crime is down in Gulf County. I believe that it is a reflection of the hard work put forward by the men and women of law enforcement who serve this county every day. Although these statistics are encouraging, I realize that a spree of vehicular burglaries could send these numbers in the opposite direction. Drugs and drug abuse are the catalyst of the majority of the crimes in Gulf County. I believe that the decrease in crime can be directly attributed to the increase in drug arrest.”

The complete 2014 Annual Uniform Crime Report can be found online at

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/FSAC/UCR/UCR-Home.aspx.

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