Sarasota County crime continues decline

Overall crime in Sarasota County has declined every year since 2009, according to the latest statistics released by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Total countywide offenses, including everything from murder to bribery or embezzlement, fell 10% in 2014 compared with the previous year, while violent crime as defined by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Index decreased by 3%. The number of homicides tripled to six in 2014, while burglaries and aggravated assaults declined by double digits.

Total offenses have fallen 32% since Sheriff Tom Knight took office in 2009. Traffic citations have climbed 20% to 35,600 in the same timeframe.

"Our workforce is committed to maintaining the quality of life our citizens, visitors and business owners expect – since they live, work and raise families here, too," Knight said in a news release. "We credit strong community partnerships for this continued decrease in crime, and flexibility in our staffing that allows an immediate deployment of manpower to address emerging crime issues."