TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department has submitted its 2018 Semi-Annual Uniformed Crime Report (January - June) to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
These statistics take into account crimes reported between January and June of this year compared with the same time frame from 2017.
While the data still must be reviewed by FDLE, early numbers indicate that Tallahassee's crime rate fell approximately 14 percent in 2017, putting the crime rate at a five-year low.
Of note, the TPD report shows that overall, crime is down 10.3 percent for the first six months of 2018, which city officials say marks the second consecutive year the percentage has dropped by double-digits, year over year.
Total violent crime dropped 24.4 percent from the first six months of 2017 in comparison to the first six months of 2018 and total property crime dropped 7.6 percent.
According to a press release from the city of Tallahassee, the same statistics reported to FDLE also showed an improvement in TPD's "clearance rate," which refers to cases solved or closed. TPD's 2018 clearance rate has increased to 21.2 percent versus 16.1 percent in 2017.
During Wednesday's Public Safety Update at the City Commission meeting, TPD Chief Michael DeLeo credited the drop in crime to several new strategies, including hiring new officers, establishing the Violent Crime Response Task Force, and enhanced neighborhood partnerships and through programs like TEMPO, Operation Safe Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Public Safety Initiative.
"These collective accomplishments have helped the community reach its lowest crime rate since 2013 and has us trending toward our lowest crime rate in 20 years," said TPD Chief Michael DeLeo. "Through strong partnerships and a continued focus on community policing, we remain committed to reducing crime in Tallahassee."
Recently, TPD was one of four agencies selected by the International Association for Chiefs of Police to receive the 2018 Leadership in Community Policing Award.
The award identifies and rewards best practices in community policing by recognizing police organizations that use the power of collaboration and partnerships to make communities safer.
