- April 25, 2024
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Crimes indexed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Semi-Annual Uniform Crime Report are at their lowest rates in Flagler County since 2005, according to a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. The report shows drops in both violent crime and property crime.
There were 737 crimes reported in Flagler County in the first six months of this year, compared to 894 in the first six months of 2017, 847 in the first six months of 2016, 843 in the first six months of 2015 and 846 in the first six months of 2014, according to the 2018 Semi-Annual Uniform Crime Report.
The crime report shows crime falling across the state, with a 2018 rate that had dropped by 8% compared to the first six months of 2017.
In Flagler, crime in 2018 is down 17.6% from the same time period in 2017. Arrests are up 22%, from 1,190 in the first six months of 2017 to 1,457 in the first six months of 2018.
Violent crime — including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault — is down 37.5%, from 136 crimes to 85, while property crime, including burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft, is down 14%, from 758 to 652.
Arrests for violent crime offenses have dropped 23.2%, with decreases in violent crime arrest rates for both males and females, while arrests for property crime have risen 33.7%.
Far more girls and women were arrested this year than last year for property crimes: In the first six months of 2017, 36 females were arrested on property crime charges (compared to 65 males), while in the first six months of 2018, 68 women were arrested for such offenses (compared to 67 males) — a rise of 88.9%.
Domestic violence, which is listed as its own category separate from violent crime, has stayed steady, with a 1% drop from 302 incidents in the first six months of 2017 to 299 in the first six months of 2018. The overwhelming majority in both years were assault cases.
“The falling crime rate in Flagler County is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our team and shows the initiatives we implemented when I became Sheriff are working,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the news release. “I sometimes hear from the community that their perception is more crimes are occurring in Flagler County – but here is the proof that crime is actually down in Flagler County! Our agency has engaged the community and we take a transparent approach to crime so that our residents know what is happening in our community. Less crime is occurring, but we’re telling you about the crimes that do occur so that you are knowledgeable, can be proactive to prevent crime, and can help us solve crime.”
View the full report on the FDLE website at http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/UCR-Reports.aspx.
FDLE began tracking crime statistics in 1971, according to the news release.
