Crime in unincorporated Lee County drops in 2016
Overall crime in unincorporated Lee County is down nearly 12 percent compared to 2015.
Last week, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office released its Annual Uniform Crime Report for 2016. The figures are used by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to calculate the Index Crime Rate.
The Cape Coral Police Department’s report was unavailable as of Tuesday.
“It should be soon,” Lt. Dana Coston said via an email. “I’m waiting on them myself.”
Officials at the Fort Myers Police Department did not provide a response regarding its report.
According to the LCSO report, overall crime – the total of violent and non-violent offenses – decreased 10.06 percent. There were 7,670 offenses last year as compared to 8,528 offenses in 2015.
“The hard-working deputies of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office are absolutely ‘dialed in’ when it comes to fighting crime,” Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott said in a prepared statement released Wednesday.
“These latest crime statistics continue to prove that,” he added.
Violent offenses decreased 3.15 percent, from 1,522 offenses in 2015 to 1,474 offenses last year. Violent crime consists of murder, forced sex crimes, robbery and aggravated assault-stalking.
While there were 88 fewer robberies recorded in 2016, there were four more murders, 21 additional forced sex crimes and 15 more aggravated assault-stalking incidents reported than the year before.
On the other hand, non-violent offenses declined across the board, from 7,006 crimes to 6,196 crimes last year – an 11.56 percent drop. Non-violent offenses are burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft.
Comparing the numbers year-to-year, Lee County saw the largest decreases among residential burglaries – 346 fewer offenses last year – and thefts over $200, which has 192 fewer offenses.
Based on population, the crime rate dropped 11.52 percent, from 2028.35 to 1794.71.
“This marks the ninth consecutive year the crime rate has dropped in unincorporated Lee County and brings the overall crime rate reduction to 52.3 percent since Scott took office in 2005,” officials said.
As for the overall arrests, there was a 4 percent increase last year as compared to 2015. A total of 13,988 arrests were made two years ago during the 12 months versus 14,547 arrests in 2016.
The LCSO’s full 2016 UCR can be found online at: www.sheriffleefl.org/.