The overall crime rate in Palm Coast and the unincorporated areas of Flagler County over the first half of the year has decreased by 0.5 percent compared to the same time frame last year, according to the Uniform Crime Report recently released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Violent crime decreased overall by about 10 percent.
Property crimes, however, are on the rise.
| Category |
2014 |
2015 |
Difference |
Reduction? |
| Total Index Crime |
850 |
846 |
-4 |
Yes |
| Murder |
0 |
0 |
No change |
No change |
| Rape |
9 |
10 |
+1 |
No |
| Robbery |
15 |
8 |
-7 |
Yes |
| Aggravated Assault |
90 |
77 |
-13 |
Yes |
| Burglary |
148 |
163 |
+15 |
No |
| Larceny |
553 |
556 |
+3 |
No |
| Motor Vehicle Theft |
35 |
32 |
-3 |
Yes |
Source: Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Burglary (home and business) is up 10 percent, larceny (shoplifting — including from vehicles) is up 0.5 percent.
Motor vehicle theft is down 8.6 percent.
The majority of the vehicle burglaries were a result of victims forgetting to lock their vehicles or by leaving valuables in plain sight, deputies said.
"We have vigorously worked to solve these cases and have made an impact," Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre said in a statement. "However, we cannot stop our combined efforts. We have success stories where citizens have seen or heard something suspicious, and with their calls to 911, our deputies have been able to arrest people who have committed burglaries. Together, we can keep this community safe and secure."
The entire Florida Department of Law Enforcement report can be read online here.