Crime is on the rise” – this popular media narrative is heard across the nation, but data tells a different story in Florida.
Below is the crime rate (number of crimes committed per 100,000 residents) in Florida by year.
As one can see, crime has dropped nearly every year since the early 90s, and today, Florida’s crime rate is at its lowest point in recorded history. Additionally, this drop is occurring for both violent crimes and property crimes.
While this declining state crime rate is a step in the right direction, there are still significant challenges with crime in some of Florida’s most vulnerable communities. For example, Levy County leads the state in the rate of violent crimes committed at a figure of 1,115.13 per 100,000 (nearly three times higher than the state’s violent crime rate). Levy County also has a childhood poverty rate of 26%, which is nearly 8 percentage points higher than the state level. This trend permeates throughout Florida as 9 out of 10 leading counties for violent crime have a childhood poverty rate that is higher than Florida as a whole.
To provide greater opportunity, and ensure children in Florida have a true pathway towards success and prosperity, it is essential that we ensure our communities provide a safe environment for them to thrive.
Join us for the upcoming “Root Cause Matters: Addressing Safety to Tackle Florida Childhood Poverty” to learn more about Safety’s role in securing the path to prosperity in Florida. REGISTER HERE>.