FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2020 12 p.m.
CRIME DOWN BY 26.7 PERCENT
MAKING FORT PIERCE A SAFER PLACE
In the first half of 2020, the City of Fort Pierce achieved a significant reduction in crime, as reported by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The overall decrease in crime was 26.7 percent for the first half of 2020 compared to the same time in 2020. The city saw a 15.8 percent reduction in violent crimes and 28.9 percent reduction for non-violent crimes for the same period.
“The key to reducing crime is based on effective community-oriented policing,” Chief Diane Hobley-Burney said. The department is focusing on measures to further reduce preventable crimes. “Doing simple things like locking cars, removing possessions and not leaving cars running unattended can prevent someone from becoming a victim.”
While Fort Pierce is mirroring the national trend in the reduction of crime, calls for service have been trending upward. For the month of September, the department totaled 7,543 calls. Of those, 3,030 were citizen-initiated and 4,513 officer-initiated. This represents proactive policing by Fort Pierce’s officers to increase visibility and community safety. Officer-initiated calls most commonly include neighborhood patrol, foot patrol, juvenile offender checks and traffic safety. Also in September, over 400 foot patrols were conducted by officers and over 300 juvenile offender checks done.
The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) system provides standardized crime statistics gathered from across the state. Data is provided annually and semi-annually. The complete UCR reports can be accessed at: http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/UCR-Reports.aspx
Mike Jachles, PIO
Public Affairs Office
Office: 772-467-6801
Cell: 772--211-1056 Email: fppio@fppd.org