The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has released the annual crime report. The statistics are from a reporting period of January 2013 to December 2013.
The report shows an overall increase of 5.1% in the crime index for Columbia County from the previous year. The unincorporated county area had a 4.4% increase due to an increase in homicides 0 to 4, motor vehicle thefts 36 to 40, assaults 216 to 238 and larcenies 582 to 637 .
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement bases the Crime Index off nine (9) vital statistic crimes, two of which, Arson and Human Trafficking were added this year:
Homicide
Burglary
Robbery
Motor Vehicle Theft
Sexual Offenses
Aggravated Assault
Larceny
Arson
Human Trafficking
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office achieved an agency case clearance rate of 42.9% for 2013. The statewide average clearance rate was 26%. For the past five years, the Sheriff’s Office has maintained a 38.5% clearance rate that is well above the state average of 24.8% for the same time. The Sheriff’s Office also has averaged a reduction in the crime rate of 9.5% over the past five years.
Sheriff Mark Hunter attributes this success to the “dedication and hard work of the CCSO personnel and an outstanding community partnership. “
