Kissimmee crime rate is up; major crime in St. Cloud and unincorporated area falls

By Fallan Patterson
Staff Writer
Florida’s crime rate is at a 40-year low, Gov. Rick Scott announced Tuesday, and both state and local law enforcement agencies agreed keeping the rate down requires a constant effort, using partnerships and the public to deter and solve crimes.
Scott and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey reported the state’s crime rate decreased 6.7 percent for 2010 compared to last year, the lowest crime rate since 1971.

Additionally, data reports violent crime, including murder, forcible sex offenses, robbery and aggravated assault, is down 10 percent statewide. Non-violent crime, which includes burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft, dropped 6 percent.
“It’s clear that public safety is a Florida priority,” Bailey said. “I applaud the work of our (police) chiefs, sheriffs and state law enforcement; our partnerships have been instrumental in bringing the crime rate to record lows.”
The numbers are configured from data submitted by 410 of Florida’s 415 law enforcement agencies, representing 99.98 percent of the total population of the state.
Osceola County’s crime rates, depending on the agency, ranged from a 7 percent decrease at the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office to a nearly 10 percent increase at the Kissimmee Police Department. “The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has been working hard to prevent, identify and solve crimes,” Sheriff Bob Hansell said. “Although we saw a drop in the crime rate in the unincorporated area of Osceola County, we recognize this is an ongoing battle we address every day and will continue to do so.”
The Sheriff’s Office saw a 7 percent decrease in crime from 2009 to 2010, with nearly 34 percent of its cases cleared, according to FDLE reports. Hansell stressed the importance of community involvement to solve cases.
“One of the important factors is our partnership with the citizens, which plays a significant role in our crime-fighting efforts,” Hansell said.

Major crime reported by the St. Cloud Police Department’s declined 1.2 percent in 2010 compared to the previous year, with 32 percent of its cases cleared, FDLE records indicate.
“Preventing and reducing criminal activity is the cornerstone of our mission,” SCPD Chief Pete Gauntlett said. “I am very proud of the outstanding operational and investigative efforts by our entire staff that have reduced crime again this year.”
KPD saw the largest crime jump in Osceola County — nearly 10 percent increase in offenses in 2010 — with the economic recession playing a factor, the agency previously reported. The agency cleared nearly 34 percent of its cases.
KPD Chief Fran Iwanski commended the working partnerships between state and local law enforcement for helping keep crime low.
“It is encouraging to see the crime statistics statewide are at an all time low,” Iwanski said. “The men and women of (KPD) continue to diligently work in conjunction with the community and neighboring law enforcement agencies to combat crime within the city of Kissimmee and the state of Florida. This cooperative effort proves that together we can make a difference.”
Within the past 40 years, the state’s crime rate was highest in 1988, when nearly 9,000 offenses per 100,000 people were committed, compared to 4,104 offenses in 2010.