Hello Everyone,
Evelyn Here,
Below is an except from the current issue of our "Attorney General's News Briefs", Charles Crist and dated July 14, 2006. The topic of this excerpt is about the notable drop in overall crime in our state since last year.
And now for a . . .
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Message from Attorney General Charlie Crist
This week I had the pleasure of joining Governor Jeb Bush and top law
enforcement officials in announcing that Florida’s crime rate has
reached its lowest point in 35 years.
The overall rate of index crimes was down 3.7 percent in 2005 compared
to the previous year, the lowest rate since 1971. Index crimes include
murder, forcible sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault and
specific other offenses.
Especially gratifying is the fact that both violent and non-violent
crimes declined last year from their 2004 levels. A wide range of
criminal activity had lower numbers, from murder (-6.9%) and rape
(-0.5%) to larceny (-2.1%) and car theft (-3.9%).
This long-term success is nothing short of extraordinary. Despite
population growth that has tested our ability to provide resources for
the fight against crime, Florida’s crime statistics have dropped for
14 straight years.
To put that all in perspective, consider this fact: The last time
Florida’s crime rate was this low, 43 percent of our citizens hadn’t
even been born yet.
The steady progress in our efforts to keep Floridians and visitors
safe has not occurred by accident. It is the result of a strong
commitment to the most fundamental of government’s duties - ensuring
the safety of the public.
The consistent success of our efforts can be traced back to 1995.
That’s the year the Legislature passed Stop Turning Out Prisoners, or
S.T.O.P., which forces inmates to serve at least 85 percent of their
sentences. I was proud to sponsor S.T.O.P. as a member of the Florida
Senate, and we were pleased to have the active and invaluable support
of then-private citizen Jeb Bush.
Four years later, Governor Bush championed and then signed the
10-20-Life bill, which established tough mandatory sentences for
crimes committed with a gun. Since 1998, the number of crimes
committed with a gun has dropped by 12.5 percent.
The state has also provided additional resources for law enforcement
and prosecutors to do their jobs. I share the pride of the employees
of this office to join with both law enforcement and prosecutors
throughout our state to carry out the mission of public safety.
The results of this comprehensive strategy are undeniable. Since 1995,
Florida’s crime rate has been cut more than 38 percent.
These numbers translate into more than 240,000 fewer serious crimes
per year. That means 240,000 fewer victims ... and 240,000 fewer
families suffering the impact of crime on a loved one.
It is important that we continue to come up with new approaches to
protect our innocent citizens. Our new Child Predator CyberCrime Unit,
for example, has already made an impact targeting vile crimes against
innocent children.
There is a great deal yet to be done, and too many law-abiding
Floridians are still being victimized by criminals. But by working
together, state and local authorities have made our state the safest
it has been in more than a generation.
Charlie Crist
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Evelyn out.
