Cape Coral crime rate drops 9.4 percent in 2008
The city of Cape Coral registered a 9.4 percent reduction in overall crime in 2008 based on numbers released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Cape Coral dropped from 5,976 total index crimes in 2007 to 5,417 index crimes in 2008.
Index crimes are the major crimes reported on the Uniform Crime Report. These crimes are murder, forcible sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.
The overall index crime rate for Cape Coral is 3,271, which ranks the city as the second safest in Florida for cities with populations of more than 150,000. When compared to cities with populations of 100,000 or more, Cape Coral ranks as the fourth safest city in Florida. An index crime rate is calculated for the number of index crimes per 100,000 residents.
Cape Coral’s population in 2008 was 165,774.
“While we want to protect all of our citizens from becoming victims of crime, we realize that a city as large as Cape Coral is going to experience criminal activity,” said Police Chief Rob Petrovich. “Being able to affect a decrease in overall crime this past year is positive news for our residents and demonstrates our commitment to working together as a community.”
The index crime category showing the largest decrease was motor vehicle theft, which dropped 27 percent (304 to 222). Forcible sex offenses decreased 22 percent (41 to 32), and aggravated assaults also registered a double-digit decline of 11.6 percent (259 to 229). Burglaries dropped 8.8 percent (1,483 to 1,352), while larceny decreased 8.1 percent. The only index crime category to show an increase was murder, which went from five in 2007 to seven in 2008.
“I am very proud of our law enforcement team and the job they do every day to keep our citizens safe,” said Chief Petrovich. “The City is facing tough challenges from a budget standpoint. Our ability to continue to deliver the highest quality services and continue to be proactive will rely on maintaining staffing levels, and properly training and equipping our police force.”
Cape Coral’s index crime rate of 3,271 is the lowest since 2005. Only Port St. Lucie was lower in the FDLE rankings populations of 150,000 or more. Coral Springs and Palm Bay also had lower index crime rates in the rankings for cities with populations greater than 100,000.