Watch CBS News

Crime In Fla. Drops So Far In 2011

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – While Floridians aren't getting back to work in the Great Recession, they also aren't breaking the law more.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, crime in Florida dropped two percent for the first half of 2011 compared to the same period last year.

FDLE said violent crimes like murder, rape, robbery, etc., is down by 3.2 percent for the first six months of 2011.

Overall non-violent crimes like burglary, larceny, and car theft, dropped by a smaller percentage, 1.8 percent.

Breaking the numbers down further, murders dropped 3.1 percent; robberies dropped 4.3 percent; and car thefts dropped 9.4 percent.

"These first six months' results are a strong indicator of what we will see for 2011, and the downward trend of Florida's crime numbers is a positive sign," said FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey. "We're aggressively working to safeguard our streets and communities."

In the first half of 2011, a total of five police officers were killed by criminals. Two of the officers were from the Miami-Dade Police Department, while the other three were with the St. Petersburg Police Department.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.