BROOKSVILLE - Hernando County's crime rate fell 4.1 percent in 2003 compared with 2002, the first time there has been a drop in overall crimes in five years, according to statistics from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. At the same time, though, the number of juvenile arrests jumped by more than 40 percent.
The data released on Tuesday also show that the crime rate has dropped in Florida to a 33-year low. This year, both the crime rate - the number of crimes reported per 100,000 people - and the crime volume - actual number of crimes reported - dropped. The improvement in the state's crime figures are indicative of what Gov. Jeb Bush said were stricter sentencing guidelines that keep violent criminals off of the street for a longer time.
"If you target them and put them behind bars, the violent crime will go down," Bush said Tuesday.
His statement also comes during a period when the overall crime rate decreased along the North Suncoast, with Pasco experiencing a 5.5 percent decrease and Citrus with a 3.3 percent drop.
For Hernando, the data reflect the most dramatic decrease in the number of violent crimes committed within the county in the past five years. In 1998, the county experienced a large drop in crime when it reported that incidents fell 6.5 percent. The following year, though, the number of violent crimes jumped 11.5 percent, according to the statistics.
The recent decrease may be attributed to a number of initiatives implemented by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and Brooksville Police Department that target high-crime and drug areas and address quality-of-life issues.
"You don't want to play too much into the numbers because they fluctuate, but we hope to keep the trend going downward," said Sheriff Richard Nugent of the report.
Nugent attributed the decrease to the implementation of several public service campaigns, which raise awareness about shoplifting and unlocked vehicles.
While offenses such as forcible sex, larceny and aggravated assault showed the most significant increases, the most startling data remain the number of juvenile arrests in the county during 2003. That number rose 42 percent to 1,173 from 825, many for shoplifting and grand theft, statistics showed.
"It always concerns us when juveniles are being arrested," said Brooksville police Chief Ed Tincher. "Again, this county has grown, and the particular types of crimes committed are as important as them being arrested."
Tincher, like Nugent, has in the past cautioned that the annual report compiled by FDLE is not an exact science, and may not be representative of the criminal activity in their jurisdictions.
In the face of a 24 percent leap in violent crimes in 2003 in Brooksville, Tincher again questioned the statistics, saying that the crime rate is not as important as where the increases occur. "You could have one person commit a wide variety of crimes, and all of a sudden have an increase in the crime rate," Tincher said.
He attributed the spike in the number of arrests to factors such as the work of an antidrug task force that targets South Brooksville and outlying areas. However, the city is still plagued by the number of larcenies. The attraction: Wal-Mart Supercenter. "The bottom line is that if you make the statement that crime is up 24 percent, the majority of the increases is in retail theft," said Tincher.
In 2003 compared with 2002, the Brooksville Police Department reported 200 more instances of larceny, many of which occur at the U.S. 41 retailer. The only encouraging trend is that the rate of increase has slowed, Tincher added. "If you stick your head in the sand, your crime rates won't go down," he said."
