TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department releases crime data from the past year, showing an increase not only in violent crime, but also sexual assault.
According to the department, reports of violent crime saw a 15 percent spike. This includes 16 homicides in 2015.
The department is also reporting an increase in sexual assault cases. 198 were reported in 2014, but in 2015, a total of 235 cases were handed over to authorities.
Frank Leonard, a criminal justice professor at Tallahassee Community College, says the spike could mean there's a possibility more victims are coming forward, regardless of the effects: "They have to deal with the embarrassment and pain of he sexual battery, plus the likelihood of someone being convicted of sexual battery is fairly low so most victims do not ever report the crime at all."
Tallahassee Police will present the crime data to city commissioners at a workshop next Wednesday. They will also be talking about the possibility of hiring more officers.
You can see a breakdown of specific statistics here.
