LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - WTXL ABC 27's Stephen Jiwanmall tells us how is the department is planning to address crime going forward.
One idea came from Chief Michael DeLeo, who wants to create a local report card for more accurate crime information in Leon County, but City Commissioner Curtis Richardson says numbers aside, it's time to double down on efforts to stop crime before it happens.
From 2015 to 2016, murder, rape and aggravated assault have all gone down. The drop in violent crime is attributed to several factors, including a renewed focus on community policing.
That's what Commissioner Richardson wants more of. He said the crime concerns are personal to him. He said his car and his wife's car were burglarized while they were home.
Neighbors feel under siege, but it will take more than police to crack down on crime. Commissioner Richardson said he urges residents to report crime when they see it, adding that tips can be anonymous through crime-stoppers.
"When you've got an infant found in a bullet-riddled automobile alone with a gunshot wound to the hand, and nobody's willing to say anything or to do anything, that's an all time low in this community, to me. So, we've got to get our neighborhoods involved. We've got to get each and every neighbor involved in addressing this issue," says Commissioner Richardson.
Tallahassee Police say the local crime report card is just a concept right now. The department says new programs have helped reduce crime since 2015.
