As crime rates drop across the entire state, there were around 27 percent fewer reported crimes in Suwannee County in the first half of 2015 compared to the same period last year.

There were 312 reported crimes in the county from January to June 2015, compared to 428 in the same period last year, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s semi-annual crime report for the first half of 2015. That figure includes both the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office and the Live Oak Police Department. 

Of the 312 crimes, 99 of them were reported to the Live Oak Police Department and the other 213 were reported to the SCSO. Compared to last year, the SCSO saw a 19 percent drop in reported crimes while the LOPD saw around a 39 percent drop. 

Suwannee County Sheriff Tony Cameron credited the SCSO’s working relationship with the community as a major part of the area’s falling crime rate. 

“They have a lot more eyes and ears out there than we do,” he said.

Live Oak Police Department Chief Buddy Williams described the drop as fairly significant. He attributed it in part to the LOPD’s relationship with the SCSO and in part to people being more willing to talk to police now.

“The citizens in general are stepping forward a lot more,” Williams said. 

There were no reported murders in the January-June period of either year. 

There were two rapes in the first half of 2015, compared to three rapes reported between January and June last year. Both of them were SCSO cases. 

Robberies went down from 15 reported instances to 10 this year, five reported to the LOPD and five to the SCSO. 

There were 63 known cases of aggravated assaults for the period in 2015, in contrast to the 85 incidents last year. 

Burglaries decreased by over a third over last year, with 81 for this year’s first half and 124 for last year. 

There were three fewer motor vehicle thefts, seven in 2015, compared to 10 last year. Five were reported to the SCSO and two to the LOPD. 

Larcenies went from 191 to 149 reported instances, 109 reported to the SCSO and 40 reported to the LOPD.

The LOPD has a hard-working investigative unit, but patrols have also helped keep crime low, Chief Williams said.

“We’re trying to be proactive,” he added. 

The total percentage of cleared cases also went up, from 40 percent in the 2014 period to around 49 percent this year. 

The SCSO has a clearance rate of about 48 percent, while the LOPD is around 53 percent. 

The sheriff’s office here has one of the top 10 highest clearance rates of any in the state, Sheriff Cameron said, helping to make the county safer. 

“When you’re locking up the people committing crimes, there’s a lot less crime to take place,” he said. 

According to the FDLE’s definitions for the reports, a case can be cleared by arrest or by an exception where events outside the control of law enforcement prevent an arrest, such as the suspect’s death or an extradition request being denied. 

Overall, Florida saw a statewide decrease in reported crimes over the period by about 2 percent, down to 324,784 this year from 332,259 last year.