Overall Crime Rate Falls in Escambia County

June 25, 2019

The total crime rate in Escambia County dropped last year, according to a report released Monday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The overall crime rate dropped by 6.2 percent from 2017 to 2018, according to the report, and the number of crimes  solved  increased from 29.7 to 31.9 percent.  The number of murders dropped from 19 to 12. In the other major crime categories the total numbers dropped for robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and larceny. The number of rapes and motor vehicle thefts increased.

The countywide report covers crimes investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department and other agencies like the Florida Highway Patrol, FDLE, University of West Florida Police and the Pensacola State College Police Department.

The statewide crime rate in Florida fell by 9 percent, according to the 2018 Annual Uniform Crime Report, marking the 48th consecutive year Florida has seen a drop in its crime rate. The report also shows a 7.4 percent decrease of total index crimes, with 45,154 fewer reported offenses compared to 2017.

Comments

17 Responses to “Overall Crime Rate Falls in Escambia County”

  1. Doug on June 27th, 2019 4:49 am

    There has always been a direct positive correlation between the unemployment rate and crime. I would suggest that the low unemployment numbers for Florida are a contributing factor to the stats from 2018 as job growth during that period was the best we have had in decades. The drop in the crime rate was a statewide trend, not just locally. I would guess that many other states are experiencing the same trend as well.

  2. john doe on June 26th, 2019 9:20 pm

    so you know, pensacola was recently voted as one of the best places to live in the whole us and you do not need to be too rich to live here and be happy, especially when software engineers (these days) can fine remote work

  3. john doe on June 26th, 2019 9:18 pm

    our local law enforcement is great, that explains it, thanks!!!

  4. john doe on June 26th, 2019 9:17 pm

    i see no reason for our criminal rate to be higher that, for example, scotts valley, ca, where, if i well remember, in 2004 we called 911 for a weird smell (which we thought was gas or something) and they would not stop thanking us because (they said) nobody called them in years. last incident there (it is a very rich small town on top of the hill between san jose and santa cruz) so last incident there was a teenager, in the 80s who somebody thought was smoking pad or something in a bus station, but it turned out the be a false alarm :-) LOL, but serious, criminal index there was ZERO

  5. Dustin on June 26th, 2019 1:52 am

    Stop arresting people for little bity things you have bigger things to do like get drugs off streets and murderers on the run but instead you guys decide to fill the jails up with innocent people

  6. Grams on June 25th, 2019 7:26 pm

    I don’t believe this could be true ?????

  7. Anne on June 25th, 2019 3:33 pm

    @ Esc co leo on June 25th, 2019 11:29 am

    Right ON. Our population countywide has increased steadily while there seems to have been a smaller number of LEO (county and city) who are on the streets.
    Part of that reason must be the difficulty in finding eligible persons who can meet the stringent requirements and pass all the stages in training.
    Unfortunately, once an officer does get hired and has passed the probationary period they are often recruited by other agencies in other counties and states due to higher salaries and maybe better benefits.
    Hopefully, we’ll have a positive change in the elected sheriff and have someone who can work well with the BoCC as that is where the Taxpayer monies come from for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
    DEEP Thanks and Appreciation to each and every one of you who SERVE and Protect We the Citizens of Escambia County and the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year.
    You Deserve MUCH More Respect and Pay than you are getting from the ones making decisions.
    May God Bless you and Protect you LEO, EMTs, Fire/Rescue and others and Bless your families and loved ones.
    And, Y’all out there in the streets and communities how about you QUIT KILLING EACH OTHER…..

  8. ? on June 25th, 2019 2:44 pm

    Maybe went down because they shot each other @ #takingcarefbusiness

  9. Oversight on June 25th, 2019 2:22 pm

    @ Esc co leo

    Sorry you got offended. I guess you missed where I said sarcasm. And I comprehend numbers verses population and percentages (rate per 100,000 people).

    So I advocate for ignoring “crime rates” and go with actual hard numbers of crimes reported year-to-year, and let the people decide if more means less. More murders as in your example calculates into a lower “crime rate” and therefore, more means less because there are more people now – check. Gotta love bean counters and statisticians; I bet they could sell ice cubes to… well you know. LOL because “…the 48th consecutive year Florida has seen a drop in its crime rate.” Talk about misleading the general public.

  10. Tom Vino on June 25th, 2019 2:21 pm

    These phony statistics always come out near an election cycle. These numbers are easily manipulated by a paid statistician in all agencies. It’s been going on for years. Crime rates are a roller coaster ride just like the stock market. Per capita, this is roughest county in the state for law enforcement. And, lowest paid. Do not be fooled.
    God bless our First Responders.

  11. Infidel on June 25th, 2019 1:53 pm

    They’re cutting more breaks on scene because they don’t have anywhere to put them. When the jail gets built arrests will go up.

  12. David Huie Green on June 25th, 2019 1:10 pm

    REGARDING:
    “That’s why it is given as a “crime rate.” It is a number of crimes per capita.”

    It DID say rate, but it also said the actual numbers went down other than for rape and motor vehicle thefts.

    The number of murders dropped from 19 to 12. In the other major crime categories the total numbers dropped for robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and larceny. The number of rapes and motor vehicle thefts increased.

    Not that the other points weren’t valid. It isn’t like fishing where you decide to slack off on catching fish to keep the numbers up. You would prefer to over-fish the criminal population to drop the number of criminal actions against the citizens. It might even result in a smaller number down the line.

    David for best practices,
    not sustainable populations of criminals

  13. PPD on June 25th, 2019 1:07 pm

    The crime rate is down but that’s only because we have more residents than ever before. We have basically the same amount of crime but more people who are not victims (yet). Also, everyone loves to cut first responder budgets first when they see misleading numbers like this. Government officials need to push to get the numbers of first responders up during these points. It helps compensate when people leave the departments which happens a lot and for a lot of different reasons. Just about every agency in the country has struggled to hire people the past few years. Low crime rates may help bring in new employees.

  14. A on June 25th, 2019 12:48 pm

    WELL DONE

  15. Esc co leo on June 25th, 2019 11:29 am

    @ oversight

    The jail and the sheriffs office need to grow because the population is growing. If we had 200,000 and 20 murders 5 years ago, but this year we have a population of 300,000 and 25 murders, crime went DOWN. As in, your chances of being a victim went down. But total crimes committed went up. That’s why it is given as a “crime rate.” It is a number of crimes per capita.

    Furthermore, when you start turning the tide against crime rates, that isnt the time to let up on your efforts. You keep pushing and build some positive momentum.

  16. Oversight on June 25th, 2019 7:38 am

    This just doesn’t make sense or passes a smell test because taxpayers are always being told we need a bigger jail, the sheriff needs more deputies, and the courts need more judges and staff. Of course these numbers are self-reported… wink, wink… there’s an election coming.
    Here’s a little sarcasm for a good laugh this morning, but think about it, seriously. So now that Escambia County has become an Utopian paradise with ever fewer and fewer crimes (when was the last time you read about a crime rate increase in Escambia County; it is always going down, right?), the BOCC needs to move to save the taxpayers money. Cancel the jail project, it’s not needed since crime is being eliminated. Freeze the sheriff’s budget at current levels, since crime is going down, he needs fewer personnel. LOL!!!
    Now on a serious note, it makes people fell better to hear that crime is down, I’m not just sure if the numbers are being accurately gathered and reported. God bless those law enforcement officers who go into harms way every day 24/7/365 (jailers included) in the effort to protect us and keep our community safe, and give them a pay raise!

  17. j on June 25th, 2019 7:04 am

    Something tells me that this number will go back up when they apply 2019’s data.