Hamilton County follows the state trend in crime rate reduction according to a recently released report tracking crime statistics throughout Florida.

It was announced that Florida now has the lowest reported crime rate in over 33 years. Crime is down throughout the state and crime is down in Hamilton County it was reported. The crime rate has fallen for the twelfth straight year in the state.



Locally, total offenses were down 8.1 percent, the violence rate was down 19.4 percent and the non-violent rate was down 5.9 percent, pushing down the total index rate by 8.8 percent.



The report also revealed crime volume, which is the actual number of reported crimes, decreased 2.1 percent, while continuing to do an outstanding job in the more traditional crime control areas.



Hamilton County Sheriff J. Harrell Reid promises resolve in maintaining the favorable statistics. Sheriff Reid is mindful that there are many favorable contributing factors for Hamilton’s high marks, not the least of which is “Increased cooperation between all law enforcement agencies within the county and the strong will and desire of the people, for a crime-free community,” noted the Sheriff.



Although arrests were up five percent in neighboring Lafayette County, arrests were down 1.3 percent in Hamilton County.



By virtue of grant acquisitions through the Sheriff’s Office, communication equipment has been up-graded, modernized and is now state-of-the-art. The Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) network installed in all patrol cars, gives deputies instant access to much-needed information and provides an additional element of safety for officer and public alike.



“It’s a combined effort of dedicated personnel, on the road and in the office, that solidifies the department, maximizing the accomplishments reflected in the low crime rate report,” states Sheriff Reid. “We have increased patrols and the formation of the Hamilton County Drug Task Force has been a major factor. More drug arrests have been made, removing repeat offenders off the street, whereas most robberies, burglaries, assaults and crimes are committed by people on drugs.”



Sheriff Reid also highlights on-going and better training for all officers, as a logical consequence for improvement.



In response to the crime rate report, Florida Governor Jeb Bush said, “I applaud the hard work of Florida’s law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line each and every day to protect the residents of our state and this report highlights the results of their efforts. I’m particularly pleased crimes committed with guns have decreased dramatically during the past five years. The Stop Turning Out Prisoners and the 10-20 Life initiatives, truly are making a difference.”



Also responding to the report was Attorney General Charlie Crist, “We will continue to support the efforts of law enforcement and citizens who work hard so that all of us can sleep better at night. These numbers show that getting tough on crime works.”



A summary of UCR data as it applies to Hamilton County for the years ’02 and ’03, is as follows:

Population – 13,925, 14,025…..0.7 percent increase.

Total arrests – 898, 886….-1.3 percent.

Total index offenses – 555, 510….-8.1 percent.

Violent rate – 840.2, 677.4….-19.4 percent.

Non-violent rate – 3,145.4, 2,959…..-5.9 percent.

Index rate – 3,985.6, 3,636.4….-8.8 percent.