Crime rose by nearly 3 percent in Orange County during the first half of 2012, but declined in Volusia, Seminole and Osceola County, according to newly released data by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) on Thursday.
While murders, robberies and aggravated assaults in Orange County declined, burglaries, forcible rapes, larceny and motor vehicle thefts rose over the same period. In particular, burglaries increased by 8 percent, compared with the first half of 2011.
According to the data, Volusia County saw a substantial reduction in overall crime of 6.9 percent, with Seminole and Osceola County declining by 2.6 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively.
Lake County, as in Orange County, witnessed an increase in overall crime of 3.5 percent. Other areas where gains were made include, Miami-Dade and Hillsborough County where crime declined by 3.9 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively.
For the state as a whole, crime dropped by 3.8 percent during the first half of 2012 when compared to a similar period in 2011. Murders rose slightly by 1.5 percent, but robberies, burglaries and larceny all declined throughout Florida.
